Connecticut Education Law Blog
Executive Order Extends Emergency Paid Sick Leave for School Employees
On February 4, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 10, extending Emergency Paid Sick Leave for employees of local and regional boards of education in Connecticut. This extension is only applicable to boards of education and not to private-sector or other municipal employers. The Executive Order extends the Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) available under the federal Families First...
Attorney Christine Sullivan Named Senior Partner
Berchem Moses PC is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2021, Christine Sullivan has been elected as Senior Partner. “It is with great pride that we announce the promotion of Christine Sullivan to Senior Partner at Berchem Moses PC,” said Marsha Belman Moses, Named Senior Partner. “Christine is an amazing lawyer, both exceedingly competent and especially compassionate, who embodies the...
Breakthrough Reached On Trans Athletes
By Emily Hayes Published in the New Haven Independent on September 23, 2020 New Haven Public Schools and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights have come to a tentative agreement that would allow transgender athletes to continue to play on teams of their choice — without the city losing millions of federal dollars. On Tuesday afternoon, New Haven Public Schools received an...
Federal funding threatened over transgender athlete policy
Attorney Michelle Laubin is quoted in a September 18, 2020 article by Luke Broadwater and Erica L. Green of The New York Times, regarding federal funding being threatened over transgender athlete policy. Read more at: https://nyti.ms/3c9i5Xa
Attorney Michelle Laubin to present CABE seminar on Special Education Issues
The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) will present a series of four virtual workshops covering legal issues facing educators. Seminars will be held throughout the fall of 2020. On Tuesday, October 27, Attorney Michelle Laubin will discuss Special Education issues. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3hpJzIW.
DOL Updates FFCRA Guidance (Again) as Schools Reopen
Late last week, the U.S. Department of Labor updated its guidance on emergency leave benefits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to address leave eligibility questions related to childcare issues presented as schools prepare to welcome students back (in some fashion). https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-questions As the start of the school year fast...
How to follow BIP protocols for restraint, seclusion during a pandemic
Reprinted with permission from: Special Ed Connection®. © 2020 LRP Publications, 360 Hiatt Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418. All rights reserved. Students with behavioral issues may become agitated more easily upon the return to classrooms because of all the changes to their routine and school building. They may more quickly get to the point of needing to be restrained for their safety...
District Court Ruling Extends Age of Eligibility for Special Education to Twenty-Two
On June 10, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut issued a ruling regarding the age limitation for special education and related services which has significant implications for local and regional boards of education. Connecticut General Statutes Section 10-76d(b), and Regulation 10-76d-1(a)(4) currently provides that a school district’s obligation to provide a free...
What schools need to know about the final Title IX regulations
The U.S. Department of Education released its final regulations on sexual harassment under Title IX which includes many sweeping changes to the existing definitions and standards and imposes significantly greater obligations on local school districts, effective August 14, 2020. On July 8, 2020, Floyd J. Dugas, Chair of the firm's Labor & Employment practice, and Carolyn Mazanec Dugas, member...
U.S. Department of Education Releases New Title IX Regulations Requiring Sweeping Changes to How Schools Must Investigate and Respond to Sexual Harassment
The United States Department of Education released long awaited Title IX Regulations (Regulations) on May 6, 2020. The Regulations impose legal obligations on state and local educational agencies and institutions that receive federal financial assistance. The Regulations which take effect on August 14, 2020 require significant changes to how school districts, colleges and universities...