Over the past few weeks, there have been several cyberattacks on Connecticut municipalities and boards of education. On the municipal side, internet thieves have intercepted wire transfer instructions in two Connecticut municipalities resulting in the theft of...
Public Sector Unions Dodge A Bullet With Friedrich’s Decision
A much anticipated decision was released last week in which the U.S. Supreme Court was deadlocked (4 to 4) on a challenge to so called “service fees” charged to employees who opt out of union membership. The lawsuit was based upon a lawsuit brought by a number of...
Connecticut Supreme Court Bolsters Employee Free Speech Claim
In a decision that marks a clear departure from national case law, the Connecticut Supreme Court recently expanded the protection of employees who speak out against their employers. In Trusz v. UBS Realty Investors the Connecticut Supreme Court rejected the standard...
New Special Legislation Requires Principals To Certify DCF Training Has Occurred and Increases Penalties For Failing To Report Suspected Abuse
School employees who fail to report child abuse may face tougher penalties for failing to report such incidents to DCF or the police as a result of a law passed by the General Assembly. Public Act 15-205, An Act Protecting School Children, increases, from a class A...
Superintendent of Schools’ Newsletter Regarding Budget Referendum Did Not Violate Election Laws
A Superior Court Judge recently held that a superintendents’ newsletter sent to parents which discussed a referendum does not violate Connecticut General Statutes §9-369b if the referendum has not yet been scheduled to take place. In this case a complaint was filed...
Teacher Tenure Laws Take Another Hit
Teachers generally enjoy job protection which is much greater than all other public sector employees. Such laws have been much criticized in recent years as a result of the increased focus on student performance. Reports of “rubber rooms” in New York, where...
Teacher Absenteeism Impacts Learning
While the concept is intuitive, a recent study has confirmed that teacher absenteeism has a direct and measurable impact on student learning. In a report entitled “Roll Call: The Importance of Teacher Attendance” the National Center on Teacher Quality found that...
Labor Board Rules School Bus Owner/Operators Are Not Employees of School Board
In a case of first impression, the State Board of Labor Relations has ruled that owner/operator bus drivers in Newtown are independent contractors and not employees of the School Board. Newtown Board of Education SBLR Dec. No. 4668 (2013). In an effort to thwart the...
Gun Bill Includes Many New Requirements For School Boards
While the other aspects of Connecticut’s new gun control law have received more notoriety, the new law included a number of provisions intended to improve school safety and security including the following: Requires each school to have a safety committee; Requires...
Termination of Superintendent
In what is one of, if not the first decision of its type in Connecticut, an independent hearing officer has ruled that the Groton Board of Education had grounds to terminate Paul Kadri its Superintendent of Schools. As in most districts, Kadri was under contract...