On Monday, the Governor signed into law the Protecting Our Student Athletes Act (formerly House Bill 200). The new law recognizes that student athletes suffer concussions and head injuries in startling numbers every year and occasionally prematurely return to play […]
Category: K-12 Education
Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Bill Funding $3 Billion for School Construction Projects
July 26, 2011
The Illinois Supreme Court recently upheld the constitutionality of legislation involving a $3 billion state construction program funded in part by the legalization of video poker, which would be permitted in bars and restaurants across the state. The legislation was […]
DOE Issues Guidance on Equal Access Act Targeted at Ensuring Access to Student Groups Such as the Gay-Straight Alliances
July 19, 2011
Following the recent series of guidance letters from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) calling for a reduction of bullying in schools, the Department issued legal guidelines regarding the Equal Access Act and the recognition of student-led non-curricular […]
Supreme Court Decides Two Cases Involving Student Interrogations by Non-School Officials
July 12, 2011
The United State Supreme Court recently decided two cases involving non-school officials’ interrogations of students on school grounds. In Camreta v. Greene, an Oregon child protective services caseworker and a police officer interviewed a nine-year old student regarding allegations that the student […]
In Burough of Duryea v. Guarnieri, one of several important rulings issued this week, the United States Supreme Court limited retaliation claims by public employees under the Petition Clause of the First Amendment to cases in which the employee’s petition relates to […]
In Nevada Commission on Ethics v. Carrigan, the United States Supreme Court upheld a Nevada conflict of interest law prohibiting an elected official from voting on a matter which would materially affect his or her independent judgment due to a “commitment […]
A recent Illinois Appellate Court decision highlights the protections that courts recognize for statements by public employees about coworker misconduct. The case should reassure school district employees who in good faith report misconduct by other employees that their reports will […]
Governor Quinn Signs Education Reform Legislation
June 15, 2011
On Monday, June 13, 2011, Governor Quinn signed into law Senate Bill 7, the sweeping education reform bill that is the product of months of negotiations between a broad group of stakeholders that included representatives from both management and labor. The […]