Can a public school require students to engage with materials that conflict with their parents’ religious beliefs without offering an opt-out? In Mahmoud v. Taylor, the U.S. Supreme Court enjoined the Montgomery County public...more
7/1/2025
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Educational Institutions ,
First Amendment ,
Free Exercise Clause ,
LGBTQ ,
Mahmoud v Taylor ,
Notice Requirements ,
Opt-In ,
Opt-Outs ,
Parental Rights ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
SCOTUS
Must a student with a disability prove that their school acted in “bad faith” to win a discrimination case? Until now, courts in some parts of the country said yes, requiring disabled students to meet a higher standard than...more
6/16/2025
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Bad Faith ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Evidentiary Standards ,
OCR ,
Public Schools ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
SCOTUS ,
Special Education ,
Students ,
Title II
On March 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order (“EO”) titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” directing the Secretary of Education to undertake all...more
3/24/2025
/ Charter Schools ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Education ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Educational Institutions ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Federal Grants ,
IDEA ,
Public Schools ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Students ,
Title I ,
Trump Administration
On November 22, 2023, Michigan Governor Gretchen E. Whitmer signed into law two bills (SB 395 & SB 396) reforming the teacher and school administrator evaluation processes at K-12 schools. The new legislation introduces...more
On November 15, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a decision that underscores the importance of ensuring proper steps are taken when Title IX complaints are first received by a school for sexual...more
Can public school children with disabilities sue their schools for violations of the federal antidiscrimination statutes and collect compensatory damages before exhausting their administrative remedies under the Individuals...more
3/23/2023
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Compensatory Damages ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Due Process ,
Educational Institutions ,
Exhaustion Doctrine ,
IDEA ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
SCOTUS ,
Special Education ,
Students
On June 23, 2021, the Supreme Court held in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L that a public school may not regulate off-campus student speech where there is no substantial disruption of school activities.
In Mahanoy, a...more
School district board members, administrators and employees are required to abide by the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. The Act prohibits the contribution of public funds or resources to a campaign for a candidate or ballot...more
As anticipated, on April 2, 2020, Governor Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-35 (the “Order”) regarding the provision of K-12 education in Michigan for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. The 17-page order, in short,...more
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has issued guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions to assist school officials with how to protect student privacy under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA),...more