As schools prepare for the upcoming academic year, you should consider the impact of Florida’s new law addressing locker room and bathroom use. The Safety in Private Spaces Act was recently signed into law by Governor...more
The Supreme Court just severely restricted higher educational institutions from using race or ethnicity as part of their admissions process, curbing the practice of using affirmative action principles during admissions for...more
6/30/2023
/ Affirmative Action ,
Civil Rights Act ,
College Admissions ,
Colleges ,
Diversity ,
Educational Institutions ,
Equal Protection ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Race Discrimination ,
SCOTUS ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina ,
Title VI ,
Universities
Florida lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday that will make it a crime for individuals to use certain bathrooms that don’t align with their gender at birth, raising many questions for schools, public employers, and businesses...more
5/5/2023
/ Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Florida ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
New Legislation ,
Public Employers ,
Rules of Professional Conduct ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Universities
Schools may soon face repercussions from the liquidity crisis caused by Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, subsequent bank failures, and the resulting financial tremors rippling across the country. Many of those employed by...more
The United States Supreme Court is poised to decide the future of race-conscious admissions in higher education – and potentially alter the landscape of affirmative action in education across the country. At issue in two...more
1/12/2023
/ Affirmative Action ,
Civil Rights Act ,
College Admissions ,
Colleges ,
Diversity ,
Educational Institutions ,
Equal Protection ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Oral Argument ,
Race Discrimination ,
SCOTUS ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina ,
Title VI ,
Universities
While the great majority of schools will not be requiring their students or staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this coming school year, that’s not necessarily true for schools in the Northeast and on the West Coast....more
9/7/2022
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Distance Learning ,
Educational Institutions ,
Masks ,
Private Schools ,
Professors ,
Public Schools ,
Religious Schools ,
Remote Learning ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists and a new academic year is upon us, private and independent schools are understandably exhausted by the additional obligations imposed upon them over the last two years. Many are resistant to...more
7/26/2022
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Educational institutions across the country are facing an upcoming compliance deadline as the mandate-or-test workplace vaccine emergency rule will soon take effect (pending the outcome of ongoing litigation). The rule will...more
11/10/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
OSHA ,
Professors ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
With less than a month left in the school year, yesterday’s guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stating that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance, was met...more
5/14/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Our firm just published a “Silver Linings Playbook” gleaned from our various practice groups and industry teams highlighting the various ways that businesses can emerge for the better after the pandemic. While educational...more
5/3/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Information Technology ,
Interviews ,
Job Applicants ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Professors ,
Remote Learning ,
Remote Working ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Videoconference
There is no doubt that 2020 brought huge challenges for schools. As we near the end of the first semester and plan for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year and beyond, there are some lessons we can learn, some processes to...more
11/30/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employment Contract ,
Gender Identity ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Social Justice Issues ,
Student Enrollment ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Wage and Hour
As the country begins to re-emerge amid the COVID-19 pandemic, whether and when any particular school will be ready to return for the upcoming school year and at what level will depend on the individual school, its location,...more
5/22/2020
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Professors ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Social Distancing ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Tuition ,
Universities ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Many independent and private schools are contemplating applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and/or Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans under the CARES Act. The PPP loan offers an attractive incentive in...more
4/9/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
CARES Act ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Federal Loans ,
Financial Assistance Policies ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Relief Measures ,
SBA ,
School Districts ,
Title IX ,
Title VI ,
Universities
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently addressed the possible spread of COVID-2019 coronavirus across the United States and outlined contingency recommendations for schools and businesses. To help schools think...more
3/3/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Universities ,
Workplace Safety
Earlier this year, we published an article warning that websites have become the new hotbed of litigation brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that schools across the country should take note (“Your...more
12/11/2018
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Colleges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Private Schools ,
Public Accommodation ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Title III ,
Universities ,
Website Accessibility ,
Websites
The Trump administration just announced an ambitious plan to overhaul the federal bureaucracy that would include the merging of the Department of Labor (USDOL) with the Department of Education. The 132-page proposal announced...more
Recent events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida have caused many in the education community to think about their own campuses and the safety and security measures they have employed over the years....more
3/15/2018
/ Colleges ,
Emergency Response ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
Risk Assessment ,
Safety Precautions ,
Safety Training ,
School Safety ,
School Shootings ,
Security Breach ,
Security Systems ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Universities