An Illinois appellate court ruled that school administrators had a duty to warn another school district and its students of the danger of a former teacher who had molested students. The school administrators also had a duty to report such […]
School District is Within Its Authority to Enter Into Intergovernmental Agreement with City to Receive Tax Revenues
April 15, 2011
An Illinois appellate court recently concluded that an arrangement, in which a school district received real estate transfer tax revenues from the city through an intergovernmental agreement, did not violate the U.S. Constitution or exceed the authority of either the […]
OCR Issues Guidance on Sexual Violence in Primary, Secondary, and Postsecondary Schools
April 15, 2011
On April 4, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a Dear Colleague Letter addressing sexual violence in schools. According to the Letter, the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination […]
Supreme Court Bars Taxpayers from Challenging Tax Credits Given for Contributions to Religious Schools
April 11, 2011
The United States Supreme Court recently held in Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn that taxpayers lacked standing to challenge an Arizona law that gives tax credits for financial contributions to school tuition organizations providing scholarships to students attending private schools, […]
OCR Issues Additional Guidance Regarding Bullying
April 11, 2011
In a second recent letter on the subject, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reiterates its call for a reduction of bullying in schools. In response to a letter from the National School Board Association questioning the standards […]
FERPA Does Not Shield Student Records From FOIA Request
March 16, 2011
A federal judge in Chicago recently ruled that the University of Illinois could not rely on the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) to shield its “clout list” from release under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act […]
ISBE Anti-Bullying Task Force Issues Guidance
March 14, 2011
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) School Bullying Prevention Task Force recently issued its report on findings and recommendations for preventing and addressing bullying in Illinois schools. The task force found that to combat bullying, schools must also address […]
In a sequel to a 2008 decision affirming the First Amendment rights of students to wear t-shirts stating “Be Happy, Not Gay,” the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals found that the District Court properly granted summary judgment to the students […]