September 2, 2010 1:19 PM | Posted by Anne H. Littlefield |
Full Text
Please join us for the Seminar, Working With The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Population: A Case Study Under The ADA, on September 24th at our Hartford Office from 8:45 AM - 11:00 AM. This program will focus on one segment of our diverse workforce: the deaf and hard of hearing. Representatives from the American School for the Deaf will explore cross-cultural communication between the hearing and Deaf communities, explain sub-cultures within the Deaf community, and identify potential areas of miscommunication and misunderstanding of this community. Please click read more for more information and to register for this event. read more
|
September 2, 2010 1:10 PM | Posted by Anne H. Littlefield |
Full Text
Please join us for our annual fall seminar. This promises to be an interesting and informative program regarding recent developments in labor and employment law. Our half-day seminar will include discussions of discrimination, worker misclassification, whistleblower and retaliation claims, and updates on recent legislation and court decisions affecting employers.
This seminar will present some of the most recent issues affecting employers in a fun and interactive format. Be prepared to give your “vote” on a variety of issues and see how your choice compares to the other attendees. Click here to register. Seating is limited so reserve your seat today!
When:
October 15, 2010
8:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Where:
Downtown Hartford Marriott
200 Columbus Boulevard
Hartford, CT 06106 read more
|
September 2, 2010 12:58 PM | Posted by Anne H. Littlefield |
Full Text
Shipman & Goodwin is offering Sexual Harassment Prevention Training to our clients this fall. Don't wait until it's too late! There are steps you can take now to protect you and your school from costly litigation. This program will be held on three sperate occasions: October 7th and 27th in our Hartford Office and October 21st in our Stamford Office. Please click on Read More for more information and to register. read more
|
August 31, 2010 8:43 AM | Posted by Matthew E. Venhorst |
Full Text
In Jones v. Oklahoma City Public Schools, a federal appeals court held that a school employee who was demoted and replaced with a younger worker can pursue her age discrimination claim. read more
|
August 11, 2010 8:29 AM | Posted by Matthew E. Venhorst |
Full Text
A group of current and former government workers in Colorado have sued the state following the recent passage of a pension overhaul bill, which -- among other things -- reduced the raise that individuals who are already retired receive in their pension checks. The legislative change reduces from 3.5% to 2% the maximum cost-of-living adjustment that retirees would be eligible to receive. read more
|
August 11, 2010 8:12 AM | Posted by Christopher A. Tracey |
Full Text
On Tuesday, Congress passed legislation providing $26 billion in new education and Medicare aid to the states. The $10 billion in education funding included in the controversial legislation, commonly referred to as “EduJobs,” is intended to preserve teaching jobs. Connecticut will receive $110 million for this purpose. read more
|
August 10, 2010 1:39 PM | Posted by Linda L. Yoder |
Full Text
New ADA amendments, which the Justice Department released July 23, address rules for mobility devices and accessible design standards. But perhaps the most significant and timely ADA Title II and III rule for your district pertains to service animals, sources say, because parent-led requests in this area are on the rise. read more
|
August 10, 2010 1:34 PM | Posted by Linda L. Yoder |
Full Text
Connecticut Law Tribune
August 9, 2010
A 2007 amendment to Connecticut General Statutes 10-233d requires a notice of a student expulsion hearing to include information about how to access free or low-cost legal services. As a result, several legal organizations, such as the Appleseed Project and various local bar association programs, have recruited attorneys to provide such services pro bono. read more
|
August 10, 2010 9:00 AM | Posted by Matthew E. Venhorst |
Full Text
The parent of a high school student and a Texas school district are embroiled in a conflict regarding the search of a student's cell phone. The parent claims that school officials violated his daughter's constitutional rights by confiscating her cell phone and reviewing her text messages. School officials claim that the search was permissible because the student was suspected to have been involved in possible criminal activity. read more
|
August 10, 2010 8:38 AM | Posted by Julie C. Fay |
Full Text
A federal district court in Pennsylvania is allowing a school district to proceed with its claim against a parent in which the district is seeking to recover attorney’s fees under the IDEA. Under the IDEA, a school district may recover attorney’s fees against an attorney of a parent, or a parent, if the parent’s complaint or judicial action is brought “for any improper purpose, such as to harass, to cause unnecessary delay, or to needlessly increase the cost of litigation.” 34 C.F.R. 300.517(a)(1)(iii). read more
|
August 10, 2010 8:24 AM | Posted by Anne H. Littlefield |
Full Text
National School Boards Association
October 15, 2010, 2:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Attorney Anne Littlefield, Attorney Julie Fay, and Attorney Leander Dolphin will be speaking at the Council of School Attorneys (COSA) 2010 School Law Practice Seminar sponsored by the National School Boards Association on the topic of "Student Discipline." read more
|
August 10, 2010 8:00 AM | Posted by Julie C. Fay |
Full Text
An Illinois district did not retaliate against the parent of a student with a disability when it declined to grant an aide after the child suffered a traumatic brain injury on the playground. Rochester (IL) Sch. Dist. 3A, 54 IDELR 233 (OCR 2009). read more
|
July 29, 2010 9:15 AM | Posted by Leander Altifois Dolphin |
Full Text
A federal district court in Wisconsin has ruled that a school district did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by holding high school graduation ceremonies at a local church. read more
|
July 29, 2010 9:04 AM | Posted by Anne H. Littlefield |
Full Text
In its 2010 session, the General Assembly passed a number of new laws affecting boards of education and school districts. read more
|
July 29, 2010 9:00 AM | Posted by Brian Clemow |
Full Text
In its 2010 session, the General Assembly passed a number of new laws affecting employers. Except as otherwise noted, the changes are effective October 1, 2010. read more
|
July 29, 2010 8:52 AM | Posted by Brian Clemow |
Full Text
Employment Law Letter is published quarterly as a service to clients and friends by the firm's Labor & Employment Practice, with the cooperation and assistance of the Litigation and Employee Benefits Practice. read more
|
July 29, 2010 8:22 AM | Posted by Christopher A. Tracey |
Full Text
Despite the passage of educational reforms intended to bolster Connecticut’s Race to the Top application, Connecticut was not among the 19 finalists for the federal competitive grant program announced on Tuesday, July 27, 2010. Connecticut has therefore been eliminated from Phase II -- the final Phase -- of the program. read more
|
July 23, 2010 11:28 AM | Posted by Gary R. Brochu |
Full Text
Recently the Connecticut Attorney General and Office of the Child Advocate released a report entitled, "Protecting our Children: Improving Protections for Children when Allegations are made that School System Personnel Abused and/or Neglected Children." read more
|
July 20, 2010 11:00 AM | Posted by Richard A. Mills |
Full Text
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the dismissal of the State of Connecticut's lawsuit concerning the NCLB statute. The State filed the lawsuit, claiming in essence that the "unfunded mandates" provisions of the NCLB statute prohibit the United States Secretary of Education from requiring states to spend state funds in carrying out the obligations of NCLB. read more
|
July 20, 2010 8:07 AM | Posted by Anne H. Littlefield |
Full Text
Preliminary analysis of state standardized testing scores show significant gains for Hartford Public Schools' students. read more
|
July 16, 2010 9:03 AM | Posted by Linda L. Yoder |
Full Text
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has said that the State Teachers Retirement Board must send all teachers who were affected by a security breach a notice that the Board will offer them " identity theft protection for two years, including at least $25,000 of identity theft insurance and reimbursement for costs associated with placing and lifting a security freeze with each of the three credit rating agencies". read more
|
July 12, 2010 9:26 AM | Posted by Linda L. Yoder |
Full Text
Changing the location in which educational services are provided will not necessarily amount to a significant change in placement. It didn’t in Oneida (NY) City School District, 54 IDELR 173 (OCR 2009). Here, the district arranged for a student with cystic fibrosis to receive five hours of home instruction on a temporary basis. The parent asked the district to continue the services during the next school year. The district agreed but said it would provide the services only on the school campus. read more
|
July 6, 2010 9:39 AM | Posted by Matthew E. Venhorst |
Full Text
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal appeals court covering Connecticut, New York and Vermont) has upheld the dismissal of a student's Title IX lawsuit against a New York school district for failing to protect her from being sexually harassed by a classmate. read more
|
July 1, 2010 10:55 AM | Posted by Matthew E. Venhorst |
Full Text
In Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Hastings College of the Law ("Hastings" or the "law school"), a public law school in California, did not violate the First Amendment when it required a student group to adhere to a non-discrimination policy as a condition of becoming a Registered Student Organization (RSO) at the law school. read more
|
June 24, 2010 2:15 PM | Posted by Matthew E. Venhorst |
Full Text
An Idaho federal court has ruled that the Idaho Public Charter School Commission (the "Commission"), the body that regulates public charter schools in Idaho, did not violate either the U.S. or the Idaho Constitution when it banned the use of religious documents and texts in the public school setting. read more
|