Sexual behaviors in young children can range from exploratory and normal to abusive and violent. Under federal law, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, schools have an obligation to protect children from sexually inappropriate behavior, examples include inappropriate touching and peer sexual abuse. Schools’ obligation can be complicated when...
Harassment in schools manifests when a student is targeted and discriminated against due to their national origin, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or other identifiable characteristics, leading to an unsafe and hostile school environment. What are some examples of harassment? Examples of harassment in schools include physical acts, verbal insults,...
Educating students is not the only responsibility of school districts. Federal and state laws require schools to be proactive about protecting student civil rights and to foster a positive learning environment free from discriminatory harassment and abuse. Several federal laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section...
School negligence cases involving teachers, coaches, camp counselors, bus drivers, and other personnel resulting in injury to a child are ever-present in the news. Negligence in schools that results in sexual abuse, death, and sports injury all present opportunities for costly negligence claims that may entail large settlements or grave...
Key Takeaways: Schools and child-and youth-oriented agencies must uphold a higher standard of care tailored to a child’s unique needs when supervising children with behavioural and physical disabilities. They should ensure safety through adequate supervision of children with disabilities, specialized programs and services for qualifying students, and addressing issues that...
Key Takeaways: Schools have a duty to protect students from harm. When another student sexually abuses a child, the question quickly becomes, “Should the school be held liable for inadequate supervision and negligence?” To determine potential liability, plaintiff and defendant attorneys must evaluate two key factors: whether the school met...