On December 28, 2016 the U.S. Department of Education released three new sets of guidance to assist the public in understanding how the Department interprets and enforces federal civil rights laws protecting the rights of students with disabilities. These guidance documents clarify the rights of … [Read more...]
Announcements
U.S. Department of Education provides clarification on the rights of students with disabilities and the responsibilities of educational institutions
January 5, 2017 by
U.S. DOJ Issues Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students
May 13, 2016 by
On May 13, 2016 the United States Department of Justice and United States Department of Education- Office of Civil Rights issues a Dear Colleague Letter ('DCL') to school officials nationwide on the topic of transgender students and compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The … [Read more...]
Child Abuse Reporting Under Act 60.
October 2, 2015 by
The Department for Children and Families now has a mandatory reporters webpage, describing reporting requirements and procedures as of July 1, 2015, when the new abuse reporting law (Act 60) became effective. The webpage answers frequently asked questions about how and when to report and reporting … [Read more...]
Service Animals and the ADA
July 14, 2015 by
On July 13, 2015 the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a nine page technical assistance FAQ - Service Animals and the ADA to help assist covered entities like schools and municipalities in understanding how the service animal provisions of the regulations apply to them. The FAQ is a follow up to … [Read more...]
John Klesch presents “Employee Leave” at VLCT
June 19, 2015 by
SP&F attorney John Klesch presented "Employee Leave" at the Vermont League of Cities and Towns' June 3, 2015 "Municipal Human Resources & Employment Law Workshop." The Montpelier event drew over 100 attendees from municipalities around Vermont. Employee leave topics included the federal … [Read more...]
SP&F Assists Vermont State Colleges in CCV-Winooski Campus Acquisition
April 3, 2015 by
On March 26, 2015, SP&Fattorneys Robert E. Fletcher and David W. Rugh, working on behalf of Vermont State Colleges, assisted in closing the Colleges’ roughly $2.5 million purchase of its Community College of Vermont – Winooski Campus property. The property at 1 Abenaki Way was formerly comprised of … [Read more...]
Special Education and Section 504 Issues: A Review and Update for Vermont School Administrators
February 27, 2015 by
Patti Page and Dina Atwood will be presenting the last in the 2014-2015 school year Vermont Principals' Association Ed Law Series on March 24, 2015. The focus of this workshop is to provide administrators with an overview of the laws, and identify common errors and pitfalls in Special Education. … [Read more...]
FMLA Amended Definition of Spouse to Include Same Sex Spouses
February 27, 2015 by
On February 25, 2015 the DOL issued a final rule amending the definition of spouse under the rules implementing FMLA to be consistent with the US Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor which struck down section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)as unconstitutional. The amended … [Read more...]
Protecting Student Privacy Using Online Ed Services
February 27, 2015 by
On February 26, 2015 the United States Department of Education's Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) issued a checklist for school districts to use in order to evaluate how well the terms of Service Agreements for applications,online forums or other online programs protect student information … [Read more...]
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Arguments Questioning Constitutionality of Municipal Sign Ordinance
December 23, 2014 by
The Supreme Court of the United States will hear arguments on January 12, 2015 in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, a case raising the question of whether an Arizona municipality’s sign ordinance creates an unconstitutional distinction among different kinds of speech. The Supreme Court’s consideration of … [Read more...]