A public school & school district expert can make the difference between costly, time-consuming litigation and effective incident prevention. When issues escalate to litigation, a public school expert witness or school district expert witness can provide consultation, expert report, and court testimony, for both defendants and plaintiffs, addressing liability and applicable professional standard of care. At School Liability Expert Group, we have been at the forefront of education and child supervision liability matters since 1993. Our experts possess extensive, diversified qualifications and experience in the field of education, supplemented by ongoing specialized training and professional development. Our experts can assist with complex compliance requirements such as Title IX regulations and school premises maintenance and liability. Book a call today to discuss the specific issues of your case and enlist one of our public school & school district experts.
Discrimination and Civil Rights Liability
School districts are not only responsible for educating students but also have a legal responsibility to protect their civil rights and foster a healthy learning environment free from discriminatory harassment. Federal laws, such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, define students’ civil rights and prohibit unlawful discrimination based on race, disability, sex, and other protected categories.
According to public school & school district expert witnesses, schools and school districts may face liability if they have actual notice or within exercise of reasonable care should have notice but are indifferent to discriminatory conduct. For example, when a school receives reports of a student experiencing racial discrimination in the form of verbal harassment and threats but fails to act on that information promptly by taking proactive measures to stop the harassment and prevent further discriminatory conduct, it can be found to be in violation of student civil rights. School districts have a duty to provide training to the larger school community to ensure that all students, their families, and faculty understand how to recognize and report harassment. A public school & school district expert witness from School Liability Expert Group can assist in cases involving discriminatory harassment and student civil rights.
In order to stay compliant and prevent discrimination school districts must designate a Title IX and Section 504 coordinator to disseminate information to parents, provide staff with training and information about harassment policies, and ensure that the district’s practices and procedures comply with state and federal laws. Our experts recommend keeping up with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) updates and publications and taking advantage of their technical assistance services designed to assist districts with preventing and appropriately responding to incidents of discriminatory harassment and discrimination. The OCR regularly issues policy guidance documents, statements, and other communications to inform school districts and educational institutions receiving federal funds of their legal obligations to protect students’ civil rights. Our public school & school district experts can assist navigating those standard-setting guidelines and regulations and review your case to determine liability and compliance issues. Our public school expert witnesses are qualified in federal courts and can provide expert reports and testimony on such matters.
Screening, Hiring, and Supervision Practices
Public school & school district expert witness services not only apply to students’ civil rights but also to school administration practices such as screening, hiring, training, and supervision of employees for proper protection and education of students. From teachers, school aides, school bus drivers to school police and security guards, school districts must ensure that all personnel is properly background checked, trained on the district’s policies and procedures, and supervised to ensure compliance with professional standards. School volunteers and third parties that have regular contact with children should also undergo safety screenings and background checks to protect students’ safety and avoid liability. Our firm has reviewed and provided public school expert witness services in cases involving negligent hiring, training, supervision, and retention of school employees resulting in foreseeable harm and injury, including sexual abuse, of children by school employees, volunteers, and third parties.
In one case, a school accepted a volunteer with a history of an inappropriate relationship with a student at a previous volunteer position that did not result in a conviction. According to our public school and district experts, while the school conducted a standard criminal background check, it did not interview supervisors from the volunteer’s prior school, even though this information was clearly listed on the application. The school argued that state regulations did not require the same level of scrutiny for volunteers as for teachers. However, had the school conducted these interviews, it likely would have avoided compromising student safety by bringing this volunteer on board.
The professional standard of care in school administration and employee and student supervision can be complex, but our expert witnesses in public and school district matters are here to help. Schedule a consultation with a public school or school district expert from the School Liability Expert Group. We have a deep understanding of the wide range of compliance challenges faced by public schools and districts, from sexual abuse, to bullying and hazing to student injury or death.
Enlist Our Services
School Liability Expert Group offers individualized, prompt, and reliable consultation services to attorneys, schools, and parents. Since 1993, our firm’s experts, who are court-qualified in education administration and supervision, have reviewed and analyzed cases to determine the professional standard of care in schools, colleges, daycare centers, and other agencies responsible for child supervision. We provide consultation from case inception to resolution, including public school & school district expert reports, deposition, and trial testimony.
We can also conduct reviews of school and agency management systems, evaluate program quality and compliance, and make recommendations to help schools operate more effectively with minimized litigation risk. On behalf of parents, we can also review student records, assess current and potential school placement, and evaluate program quality. This includes issues related to child custody matters and special education. Our general areas of expertise include standard of care, personnel matters, accidents, sexual abuse, special education programs, and school comparison in custody matters.
Talk with a public school & school district expert about compliance and liability today.