As schools prepare for the upcoming academic year, you should consider the impact of Florida’s new law addressing locker room and bathroom use. The Safety in Private Spaces Act was recently signed into law by Governor...more
Florida lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday that will make it a crime for individuals to use certain bathrooms that don’t align with their gender at birth, raising many questions for schools, public employers, and businesses...more
5/5/2023
/ Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Florida ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
New Legislation ,
Public Employers ,
Rules of Professional Conduct ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Universities
While the great majority of schools will not be requiring their students or staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this coming school year, that’s not necessarily true for schools in the Northeast and on the West Coast....more
9/7/2022
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Distance Learning ,
Educational Institutions ,
Masks ,
Private Schools ,
Professors ,
Public Schools ,
Religious Schools ,
Remote Learning ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations
We recently provided our predictions for what education employers could expect to see in the area of workplace law over the next year as part of our FP Forecast series – but we had too many insights to fit into that edition....more
4/29/2022
/ Child Abuse ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Identity ,
Name and Likeness ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Schools ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Student Athletes ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Transgender ,
Wage and Hour
Educational institutions across the country are facing an upcoming compliance deadline as the mandate-or-test workplace vaccine emergency rule will soon take effect (pending the outcome of ongoing litigation). The rule will...more
11/10/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
OSHA ,
Professors ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just substantially relaxed its pandemic guidance for K-12 schools. While certain restrictions remain and the guidance may continue to evolve in the coming months,...more
7/13/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations
After unanimous approval by both Florida’s Senate and House, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Educator Conduct Act on June 21, amending several sections of the state’s K-20 Education Code and imposing new statutory...more
6/24/2021
/ Background Checks ,
Charter Schools ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Department of Education ,
Disqualification ,
Employee Training ,
Ethical Standards ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
Posting Requirements ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Scholarships ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers
With less than a month left in the school year, yesterday’s guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stating that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance, was met...more
5/14/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Our firm just published a “Silver Linings Playbook” gleaned from our various practice groups and industry teams highlighting the various ways that businesses can emerge for the better after the pandemic. While educational...more
5/3/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Information Technology ,
Interviews ,
Job Applicants ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Professors ,
Remote Learning ,
Remote Working ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Videoconference
There is no doubt that 2020 brought huge challenges for schools. As we near the end of the first semester and plan for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year and beyond, there are some lessons we can learn, some processes to...more
11/30/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employment Contract ,
Gender Identity ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Social Justice Issues ,
Student Enrollment ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Wage and Hour
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released updated guidance on COVID-19 testing protocols for K-12 schools, making clear that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) permits schools to...more
As the country begins to re-emerge amid the COVID-19 pandemic, whether and when any particular school will be ready to return for the upcoming school year and at what level will depend on the individual school, its location,...more
5/22/2020
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Professors ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Social Distancing ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Tuition ,
Universities ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Many independent and private schools are contemplating applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and/or Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans under the CARES Act. The PPP loan offers an attractive incentive in...more
4/9/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
CARES Act ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Federal Loans ,
Financial Assistance Policies ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Relief Measures ,
SBA ,
School Districts ,
Title IX ,
Title VI ,
Universities
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently addressed the possible spread of COVID-2019 coronavirus across the United States and outlined contingency recommendations for schools and businesses. To help schools think...more
3/3/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Universities ,
Workplace Safety
Earlier this year, we published an article warning that websites have become the new hotbed of litigation brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that schools across the country should take note (“Your...more
12/11/2018
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Colleges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Private Schools ,
Public Accommodation ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Title III ,
Universities ,
Website Accessibility ,
Websites