On June 30, 2019, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order aimed at studying and providing recommendations on legal rights and supports in the school environment for transgender, non-binary, and gender...more
7/3/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Educational Institutions ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Agency Taskforce ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
Gender Neutral ,
LGBTQ ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
State and Local Government ,
Students ,
Transgender
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), which is a nonprofit organization focused on data privacy, recently issued a useful two-page “primer” for schools on disclosure of information during school emergencies....more
One of the loftiest goals of K-12 education is to teach children to disagree respectfully, but what do you do if they disrespectfully disagree—especially on a hot button, highly-sensitive topic?...more
Most changes we’ve seen from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) these past two-and-a-half years have dealt with sex, gender, race, color, and national origin—not disability—and most have reduced federal oversight,...more
A flurry of recent news reports signals a marked change by the Trump administration of the Federal government’s approach toward the rights of transgender students in public education. What, if any, practical implications do...more
10/24/2018
/ Educational Institutions ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
Gender Neutral ,
LGBTQ ,
Non-Discrimination Rules ,
Protected Class ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Orientation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
State and Local Government ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Transgender
In an opinion issued last week, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided in favor of a transgender student who challenged his high school’s decision to limit his access to boys’ communal bathrooms. ...more
6/9/2017
/ Department of Education ,
Educational Institutions ,
Equal Protection ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
Public Schools ,
Restroom Legislation ,
School Restrooms ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Transgender
The wait for a final resolution of the legal issues surrounding transgender students will be extended as the result of a decision yesterday by the United State Supreme Court in the landmark case, Gloucester County School Bd....more
3/8/2017
/ Dear Colleague Letter ,
Department of Education ,
Gender Identity ,
Gloucester County School Board v G.G. ,
LGBTQ ,
Public Schools ,
Remand ,
School Restrooms ,
SCOTUS ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Title IX ,
Transgender ,
Trump Administration
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE) jointly issued a statement rescinding the guidance on transgender students’ rights under Title IX issued to school districts nationwide in May. The prior...more
2/23/2017
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Education ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Discrimination ,
Educational Institutions ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
Gloucester County School Board v G.G. ,
LGBTQ ,
Restroom Legislation ,
School Restrooms ,
SCOTUS ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Transgender ,
Trump Administration
On Friday, the Trump administration signaled that it will not defend the guidance given by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE) last May on transgender students’ rights under Title IX of the...more
2/13/2017
/ Department of Education ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Discrimination ,
Educational Institutions ,
Gloucester County School Board v G.G. ,
LGBTQ ,
Public Schools ,
School Restrooms ,
SCOTUS ,
Sexual Orientation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title IX ,
Transgender ,
Trump Administration
In an opinion issued yesterday, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert decided that Township High School District 211 “balanced the interests of all its students when it decided to permit transgender students to...more
On Thursday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit re-affirmed prior court holdings that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, but in so doing...more
8/2/2016
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Gender Identity ,
Human Rights Act ,
LGBTQ ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title VII
Amidst a recently intensified national debate regarding support for transgender students in schools, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE) today issued new guidance setting out guidelines for...more
5/16/2016
/ Dear Colleague Letter ,
Department of Education ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Educational Institutions ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Transgender
Yesterday, in a landmark ruling, a federal appellate court decided that under Title IX a transgender student can challenge a school board policy that limits bathroom and locker room access based on biological sex. The United...more
As one of his last official actions in 2014, outgoing Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 1342, which amends the Illinois eavesdropping law that the Illinois Supreme Court found unconstitutional early in 2014....more
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a lawsuit brought by African American families and students in Pennsylvania alleging that the Lower Merion School District placed the students in special education classrooms as a...more
Two new laws require school districts and charter schools to reconsider their approach to bullying. The first new bullying law requires school boards and charter schools to make extensive revisions to their bullying policies....more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decided this week that the University of Texas’s consideration of race as a factor among many factors for college and university admissions is legally permissible in Fisher v....more
The long-standing test for searching students at school requires that the search must be based on a “reasonable suspicion” that the student violated a school rule or law. A recent criminal decision from the United States...more
The U.S. Supreme Court held yesterday that a voter-approved ban on the use of race-based preferences for public university admissions does not violate the U.S. Constitution. The decision focused narrowly on whether the U.S....more
The Illinois Swimming Facility Code and accompanying regulations contain requirements on virtually every aspect of swimming pool operation and maintenance. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) enforces these...more
In Zeno v. Pine Plains Central School District, the school district lost its challenge to a $1 million damage award for student-on-student harassment. Former student Anthony Zeno prevailed at trial against his school district...more