Key Points Student injuries can stem from failures in school supervision, but many are also unavoidable accidents. Schools must exercise reasonable care, not perfect care, to protect students from different forms of injuries. Schools can face supervision or premises liability for reasonably foreseeable student injury. The fact that a student...
The Rundown: DoDEA’s new cellphone restrictions require consistent policies, clear storage rules, and documented exceptions across all 161 schools. Poor implementation can create safety risks, disability-law concerns, parent disputes, due process claims, and uneven discipline. Schools can reduce liability by training staff, communicating clearly with families, monitoring enforcement, and aligning...
Schools and other organizations are on the front lines in protecting children and youth in their custody from harm. Teachers, counselors, coaches, and other employees are often the first to notice warning signs of child safety concerns. For this reason, institutions are expected to ensure their staff fulfill their mandatory reporting...
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...