Public schools should be cautious as to how they moderate access to and comments on their social media profiles. In Packingham v. North Carolina, the Supreme Court recently recognized that the Internet, and particularly social media sites, is an important place for […]
Category: K-12 Education
We are closely monitoring the U.S. Department of Education’s policy guidance concerning investigations of sexual assaults and sexual violence on school campuses, applicable to both K-12 and higher education institutions throughout the country. Media outlets, including the New York Times, are […]
The Illinois House voted yesterday to override Governor Rauner’s veto of the budget bill, income tax increase, and the budget implementation bill. The House vote came on the heels of the Illinois Senate’s override vote on Tuesday, July 4th. With […]
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) recently joined a national campaign to protect endangered monarch butterflies. As of May 2017, IDOT is mowing only 15 feet from the edge of roadways, reducing the total amount of mowed land, allowing milkweed […]
Breakfast After the Bell Explained
July 6, 2017
In August 2016, Governor Rauner signed Public Act 099—0850 creating the “Breakfast After the Bell” program. Historically, schools have provided breakfast prior to the start of the school day. However, the traditional model may discourage student participation due to stigma, transportation, […]
Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor Issues Binding Opinions Regarding FOIA Exemptions
June 29, 2017
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 bodies in violation of FOIA for improper application of the “deliberative […]
Candice Jackson, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, recently provided a “new internal guidance” memorandum to staff that significantly changes the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) protocols for investigating civil rights […]
IL Supreme Court Rules IHSA Not Subject to FOIA
June 15, 2017
The FOIA litigation saga continues as the Illinois Supreme Court in Better Government Association v. IHSA ruled in favor of the athletic association and High School District 230, holding that the records requested are not public records subject to the Freedom […]