In a recent decision, the Illinois Appellate Court held that the nonexistence of requested documents is an affirmative defense to a complaint grounded in the Freedom of Information Act. The court also clarified that public bodies do not need to […]
Recent raids by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Mississippi are garnering national attention. The raids were conducted on the first day of school in the area, with hundreds of children coming home to find one or […]
A recent class-action lawsuit filed in Michigan, which seeks to overturn scores of Title IX decisions at Michigan State University, is the first of its kind. The case relies on a 2018 federal court ruling in Michigan that public colleges and universities […]
A recent Department of Education inquiry regarding transfers of guardianship of college-aged students in Illinois is making news across the country. The Department’s Office of the Inspector General is looking into the practice of wealthy parents transferring guardianship of children to relatives […]
Originally posted on our Special Education Law Insights Blog In a July 2019 briefing report, the United States Commission on Civil Rights warned that students of color with disabilities face exclusionary discipline, like suspensions and expulsions, at much higher rates than their peers without disabilities. What […]
The Public Access Counselor (PAC) of the Illinois Attorney General’s office recently issued two binding opinions addressing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Specifically, the opinions found two public entities violated FOIA by improperly applying for the “trade secrets” exemption […]
As we discussed in an alert in December, with PERA’s full implementation on September 1, 2016, new tenure rules are in effect in Illinois. ISBE guidance suggests that for those districts with a PERA implementation date of September 1, 2016, the […]
Originally posted on our Special Education Law Insights Blog It’s a nightmare scenario: You come back to school rested after a well-deserved summer break to find a parent complaining that their child should have been evaluated over the summer and had an IEP […]
