School districts frequently ask how to balance the rights of a person who brings a service animal onto school grounds against the rights of others. For example, if one child in a classroom is allergic to pet dander, but another child demands to bring her service dog to school, whose rights prevail? These concerns are […]
Education Law Blog
Ennis Britton Attorneys Selected to Super Lawyers!
We are very pleased to announce that the highly reputed organization Super Lawyers has selected Ennis Britton shareholder Gary Stedronsky as a Super Lawyer and shareholders Megan Bair, Pamela Leist, and Erin Wessendorf-Wortman as Super Lawyers Rising Stars for 2019! Gary Stedronsky is a shareholder who has been with Ennis Britton since 2003. He started […]
Concussion Case Involving Former Athlete Allowed to Proceed in Court
Ennis Britton first reported about this case in the May 2018 issue of our newsletter, School Law Review, as it has implications for school districts and athletic organizations. Since then, this case has continued in court, and the Ohio Supreme Court has now weighed in as well. Steve Schmitz was an NCAA athlete who, during […]
Service Animals in Schools
In October, a flight from Charlotte to Cleveland was delayed when a woman carrying what she characterized as an emotional support animal refused to deplane from the aircraft. Although the airline permits air travel for emotional support animals, the passenger failed to tell employees that her support animal was a squirrel. The airline does not […]
Crowdfunding and School Board Policy
“Crowdfunding” is the practice of funding a project by raising relatively small amounts of money from a large number of people, usually via the internet. In schools, crowdfunding helps teachers and schools to obtain funding and supplies. Online Crowdfunding and How It Works Crowdfunding websites vary in how they raise funds. Some well-known crowdfunding websites […]
FBI Issues Public Service Alert, Warns of Student Privacy Risk
On September 13, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a public service alert to raise awareness of cybersecurity concerns for K–12 students. While education technologies have helped to engage community involvement and improve the educational environment, security risks lurk beneath the surface. Large amounts of student data are collected and stored online, and this […]
Medical Marijuana in Ohio
In 2016, Ohio became the twenty-sixth state to legalize the use of marijuana for certain specified medical conditions. Medical marijuana facilities and patient registries are expected to be fully operational in the near future. School districts should be aware of how the medical marijuana law might impact current policy and operations. Overview of State Law […]
Supreme Court Rules Fair Share Fees Unconstitutional
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 that a public sector collective bargaining agreement that includes an agency fee clause (also referred to as “fair share” fee) that requires all employees of the unit to pay union dues is a violation of a public employee’s right to freedom of speech […]
Court Upholds Denial of Public Records Request as Overly Broad
Ohio’s Sixth District Court of Appeals, in a case arising in Erie County, Ohio, upheld the denial of public records requests for all emails from certain elected county officials to other county employees over the span of a month. The requester asked for the following: all emails sent and received by Wilson and one of […]
Ohio Attorney General Issues Opinion on Property Valuation Settlements
The Ohio attorney general recently published an opinion that addressed several questions regarding property valuation settlements when property owners and boards of education contest an auditor’s value (O.A.G. No. 2018-011). A party such as a board of education or a property owner who contests an auditor’s property valuation will begin by filing a complaint with […]