Giselle S. Spencer

Shareholder

Contact

Phone: (216) 487-6674
Email: gspencer@ennisbritton.com

Education

B.A., Political Science, University of Michigan (1983)
J.D., Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law (1986)

Bar Admissions

Ohio

Court Admissions

United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio
United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio
United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Affiliations

Former Adjunct Professor, Capital Law School
Former Board Member, Dayton Habitat for Humanity
Former Board Member, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity
Former Chair, Executive Committee for the Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys
Former Board Member, National School Boards Association, Council of School Attorneys
Past President, Thurgood Marshall Law Society
Member, Norman S. Minor Bar Association
Member, National School Boards Association, Council of School Attorneys
Member, Ohio State Bar Association
Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

Ms. Spencer is a shareholder with the firm who has served as both in-house counsel and outside counsel to Ohio school districts. She is a member of the firm’s Special Education, Workers’ Compensation, and Finance Practice Teams. She counsels boards of education and school district administration on many aspects of education law including employment matters, workers’ compensation, property valuation, student discipline, public records, special education, discrimination complaints, and board governance. She has represented boards of education before state and federal courts, county Boards of Revision, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Industrial Commission, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the State Personnel Board of Review, the State Employment Relations Board, the Ohio Unemployment Review Commission, and the Ohio Department of Education. Ms. Spencer frequently presents on various education law topics at the state and national levels and is a featured presenter for several school employee associations throughout Ohio. She is a 2011 recipient of President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award and has an extensive history of volunteer service.

Recent Presentations and Published Works

  • June 7, 2019: 42nd Annual OCSBA School Attorney Workshop – Protect and Serve is Not Enough: SROs in Schools
  • March 20, 2019: Trumbull County ESC – Spring Legal Update
  • February 2, 2019: Ashland Leadership Academy Seminars (ALAS)
  • November 12, 2018: OSBA Capital Conference – Threat Assessment and Response
  • September 5, 2018: BASA Regional Workshops – ESC of Northeast Ohio
  • August 9 & 10, 2018: Trumbull County ESC Summer Conference
  • April 19, 2018: Ohio Association of School Business Officials – Spring Conference
  • March 23, 2018: Ashland Treasurers Leadership Academy Seminars (ATLAS)
  • March 21, 2018: Trumbull County ESC Resident Educators
  • February 2, 2018: Ennis Britton Webinar – Three Hot Topics Special Education
  • October 2017: Ennis Britton’s Special Education Symposium
  • March 4, 2017: Coming Attractions: What’s on the Legal Horizon for Public Education, Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar
  • February 24, 2017: A Look Inside the In-Box: Nontraditional Issues for School Psychologists, ELASPA  Legal Update
  • February 4, 2017: Twitter-Sized Wisdom: Legal Issues for Public Education, Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar
  • October 21, 2016: What’s New and “Special” in Special Education, Ennis Britton’s Second Annual Legal Seminar, Trumbull County ESC
  • October 18, 2016: Ohio School Law Update, Ohio School Resource Officer Association
  • October 14, 2016: Finishing Strong: Handling Student-to-Student Bullying and Harassment, Youngstown City School District
  • August 23, 2016: To Surf and Protect: School Use of the Internet and Social Media, Ontario Local School District
  • August 12, 2016: Stay Calm and Enroll the Student: Navigating Student Enrollment Issues, Trumbull County ESC
  • August 9, 2016: Ohio School Law Update, Ohio School Resource Officer Association
  • August 8, 2016: Anatomy of a Due Process Hearing and How to Avoid One, Amherst Exempted Village School District
  • June 23, 2016: Wish You Weren’t Here: Anatomy of a Due Process Hearing, State Support Team Region 5
  • April 8, 2016: Legal Update, Ashland Treasurers Leadership Academy Seminar
  • April 6, 2016: What Issues Keep Us Up at Night: Issues for Educators, Trumbull County Resident Educators Meeting
  • April 4, 2016: Welcome to the School House: Sorting through Custody, Residency, and Confidentiality Issues, Hubbard Exempted Village School District
  • March 5, 2016: Case Law Update, Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar
  • February 6, 2016: Handling Employee and Student Conflicts, Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar
  • January 22, 2016: Board of Revision Boot Camp for Superintendents and Treasurers
  • January 9, 2016: Legal Update, Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar
  • January 7, 2016: Ohio Sunshine Laws Workshop, EB Administrator’s Academy Seminar Series
  • October 30, 2015: All In: Special-Needs Students and Participation in Extracurricular Activities, Mahoning County ESC
  • February 7, 2015: Legal Update, Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar
  • January 29, 2015: Human Resources for Food Service Directors, Ohio Association of School Board Officials (OASBO)
  • January 21, 2015: Special Education Boot Camp, Trumbull County ESC
  • January 10, 2015: Legal Update, Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar