Last week, we wrote about how school leaders should address issues involving “undocumented” students, including the possibility of visits by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Connecticut schools in...more
1/29/2025
/ Data Privacy ,
Department of Education ,
Educational Institutions ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Privacy Laws ,
Regulatory Reform ,
School Districts ,
School Safety ,
State and Local Government ,
Students ,
Trump Administration
Back in 2017, at the dawn of the first Trump administration, there was much concern about how school leaders should address issues involving “undocumented” students including the possibility of visits by the U.S. Immigration...more
1/24/2025
/ Department of Education ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Educational Institutions ,
FERPA ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Student Privacy ,
Students ,
Trump Administration
Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) generally provides access to records created by public agencies (including school districts). However, the FOIA contains an exemption from disclosure for “educational records”...more
1/15/2025
/ Data Privacy ,
Department of Education ,
Document Requests ,
Educational Institutions ,
FERPA ,
FOIA ,
Privacy Laws ,
Privacy Rule ,
Public Records ,
School Districts ,
Student Privacy ,
Students
Board members sometimes just assume that whenever they enter into executive session under Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), they can invite anyone they want into the session. Furthermore, boards often assume...more
The following is a brief description of acts that were passed during the 2024 Session of the Connecticut General Assembly that may be of interest to Connecticut school leaders. ...more
8/22/2024
/ Connecticut ,
Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Benefits ,
General Assembly ,
New Amendments ,
New Regulations ,
Public Employees ,
Public Schools ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Special Education ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Wage and Hour
Last year, the Connecticut General Assembly passed significant revisions to the school climate and bullying requirements, via Public Act 23-167 as we explored at length in a prior posting. ...more
The 2024 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly just concluded on May 8, 2024. As we have consistently done every year, our firm will be publishing in these pages our annual summaries of legislation affecting...more
To follow-up on our annual School Law legislative update, over the next few weeks we will be highlighting and analyzing the most important developments from this year’s session of the General Assembly that Connecticut K-12...more
8/22/2023
/ Charter Schools ,
Connecticut ,
Disabled Children ,
Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Section 504 ,
Special Education ,
Students
Last week Pullman & Comley released its annual comprehensive summary of legislation affecting Connecticut schools. Included here is our initial take on the key policy and procedural impacts as a result of this year’s...more
8/15/2023
/ Bullying ,
Connecticut ,
Educational Institutions ,
Expulsion ,
General Assembly ,
Harassment ,
Libraries ,
Policies and Procedures ,
School Districts ,
School Suspension ,
Special Education ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Title IX
The 2023 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly concluded on June 7, 2023. The following is a brief description of acts that were passed by the General Assembly that may be of interest to Connecticut’s K-12...more
At its March 10, 2023 meeting, the General Assembly’s Education Committee began the process of approving bills. The following is a brief summary of the bills that the Committee voted favorably on and advanced out of...more
3/14/2023
/ Connecticut ,
Department of Education ,
Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
Financial Literacy ,
General Assembly ,
Law Enforcement ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
School Lunch Programs ,
Special Education ,
Students
Our firm had previously published alerts/posts on education and employment legislation that was enacted during the 2022 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly. The following is a brief description of acts that...more
It is a common practice for employers to conduct exit interviews with departing employees. Without even discussing employment law issues (not to mention issues over the appropriate roles and responsibilities for school...more
10/11/2022
/ Connecticut ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Rights ,
FERPA ,
FOIA ,
FOIC ,
Former Employee ,
Invasion of Privacy ,
Personnel Records ,
Protected Disclosures ,
Public Agencies ,
Records Request ,
Reputation Management
As reflected in our firm’s legislative update, Developments from the 2022 Session of the Connecticut General Assembly: New Laws Affective the Schools (and Public Employers): Pullman & Comley (pullcom.com), a number of public...more
We have written about the General Assembly’s Education Committee’s final flurry of activity of approving and advancing bills out of committee. In addition to the bills that we have already summarized, here is a brief summary...more
In our last post, I summarized part of the General Assembly’s Education Committee’s final flurry of approved bills advancing bills out of committee. In addition to the bills that we have already summarized, here is a brief...more
4/22/2022
/ Charter Schools ,
Connecticut ,
Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Grants ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Special Education ,
State Budgets ,
State Funding ,
Students
The General Assembly’s Education Committee likely finished up its work for this legislative session and has approved a plethora of bills. Here is a summary of these bills (which now await action by the full General...more
4/22/2022
/ Connecticut ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
Financial Literacy ,
General Assembly ,
Mental Health ,
Minor Children ,
Pending Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Remote Learning ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Teachers
We have written repeatedly in these pages about the status of statewide masking and employee vaccination mandates for Connecticut schools (both public and private) schools. ...more
2/18/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Last week, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed (as amended) House Bill 5047 (“An Act Concerning The Extension Of Certain Executive Orders And Department Of Public Health Authority”)....more
2/14/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Legislatures ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Workplace Safety
We have written repeatedly in these pages about statewide masking and employee vaccination mandates for Connecticut schools (both public and private) via Executive Orders from Governor Ned Lamont. While on February 15, 2022,...more
2/9/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Connecticut law has required public and private schools to condition a student’s entry into school upon providing proof of immunizations against certain communicable diseases (including but not limited to diphtheria,...more
1/17/2022
/ Article III ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Educational Institutions ,
Eleventh Amendment ,
Fifth Amendment ,
First Amendment ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Fourth Amendment ,
Free Exercise Clause ,
Immunization Exemptions ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Right to Privacy ,
Sovereign Immunity ,
Standing ,
Students ,
Vaccinations
On Friday, August 27, 2021, approximately 200 people joined us for a webinar on issues faced by Connecticut schools as they reopen this fall during the current COVID-19 pandemic. We covered topics such as mask mandates,...more
9/1/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On Wednesday, August 25, 2021, the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) issued “Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Vaccinations for Covered Workers in Schools.” This guidance from the SDE addresses Governor Ned...more
8/27/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Screening Procedures ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On August 19, 2021, the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) issued its much awaited “Adapt Advance Achieve” guidance on COVID-19 mitigation strategies for Connecticut’s schools for the fall of 2021. This year’s...more
8/24/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Safety Standards ,
Students ,
Workplace Safety
Recently, my law partner, Zachary D. Schurin, wrote about Governor Lamont latest/revised Executive Order – Executive Order #13A– concerning the wearing of masks (and/or other cloth facial coverings). While Executive Order...more
8/16/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Private Schools ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
Workplace Safety