Episodes

In this episode, you will learn about the many legal issues that arise in school athletics related to hiring, training, support and supervision of school athletics personnel. Topics addressed include screening, social media reviews and criminal background checks for prospective new hires, ensuring that all athletics staff complete essential professional learning, ensuring that athletics staff are supported when being unfairly targeted and key aspects of supervising athletics personnel. Host - D...

This episode was provided in Partnership with Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management. Human Resources is a big term that encompasses everything school districts do in their interactions with current, prospective and even former employees. Having consistent, effective and legally compliant protocols to address all aspects of human resources is critical for all school districts. This episode will review some of the common legal issues that arise when HR protocols break down, provide tips for sound p...

This episode was provided in Partnership with Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management. What happens when staff members are directly observed by their supervisor, whether that be in the classroom, in the main office or other work settings, is a core aspect of a staff member’s evaluation. But it is not the full picture! This episode will review the many aspects of staff evaluation and accountability that go well beyond what is directly observed during a formal observation, including communications wi...

This episode was provided in Partnership with Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management. With school staffing shortages growing across the nation, it is imperative that school districts competing for staff members signal that they offer a family-friendly environment that recognizes the many pressing needs that may arise for staff members related to their families. At the same time, school staff members provide essential services and school districts need staff members to be present in order to operat...

This episode was provided in Partnership with Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management. Sexual harassment in public schools can take many forms. This episode will provide a clear definition of what constitutes sexual harassment and the legal obligations that must be addressed in response to any potential incidents. This will include a review of staff-to-staff, staff-to-student and student-to-student issues, and requirements that must be met under federal and state law, including federal Title IX, Ne...

This episode was provided in Partnership with Arthur J. Gallagher. There is a growing awareness of the importance of ensuring that all students build strong connections with trusted adults in the school setting. At the same time, it is critical that school staff members understand the importance of maintaining appropriate boundaries, in order to avoid even the appearance of an improper relationship with students. This episode will review tips for creating a Code of Conduct for staff members tha...

This episode was provided in Partnership with Alliant Insurance Services. All school districts need to understand their obligations for implementing Title IX, which ensures that no students in our schools are victims of gender-based discrimination, whether in the form of inadequate support for female students in athletics, under-representation in certain rigorous academic programs or ineffective responses to reports of student sexual harassment. On August 1st, 2024, those obligations underwent ...

This episode was provided in Partnership with Alliant Insurance Services. Ensuring that students are able to safely participate in school athletics takes a team effort. That team includes parents, students, private healthcare providers and, of course, key school officials, including school nurses, school physicians, athletic directors, coaches and athletic trainers. For the 24-25 school year, major changes were made to the process for student athlete clearance, including revised forms and new l...

This episode was provided in Partnership with Alliant Insurance Services. We are experiencing a surge in students nationwide who are in need of mental health supports. Involvement in school athletics has the potential to greatly benefit both the physical and mental health and well-being of students. However, student athletes often face enormous pressures to succeed, both athletically and academically. For any student athlete, there is also the challenge of learning to cope with the emotional ro...

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA Guest - George Guy, Principal, Cherry Hill Public Schools Discrimination in our schools can take many forms. Sometimes it takes the form of overt, intentional acts which any reasonable person should recognize. But other times, discrimination can take more insidious, subtle forms. Learning how to identify those subtle forms of discrimination, including microaggressions and implicit biases, is critical for school dis...

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA Guest - Rebecca Gold, LEGAL ONE Consultant With school districts facing increasing staffing shortages, efforts to promote diversity in hiring have become more challenging than ever. Those efforts have become ever more complicated by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision invalidating the use of certain affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. However, the legal requirement to promo...

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA Guest - Maureen A. Brogan, LPC, ACS, DAAETS, DRCC, Program Manager, Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth (TLC), Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care Recent data suggests an alarming spike in mental health needs for students and staff in our public schools. In this episode, participants will learn about legal requirements under state and federal law related to addressing mental health needs, including a new Stat...

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA Guest - John Worthington, Esq., Coordinator of Special Education Law, FEA New Jersey has one of the most expansive anti-discrimination laws in the nation, which provides strong protections for students and staff members in our schools. In this episode, participants will learn about the broad protections available under NJLAD, including protected categories, recent expansions and clarifications of those protections ...

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA Guests - Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director, Garden State Equality and Kate Okeson, Co-Founder, Monmouth Consortium for LGBTQ+ Youth and NJ High School Art Teacher The stakes couldn’t be higher. Across the nation, a concerted effort is underway to pressure local school districts to reduce or even abandon essential policies, practices, and curricula that are intended to promote a safe and supportive learning en...

Presenter: Michael Kaelber, Esq., LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Online Course Development This session will discuss the various leaves available to school employees and how they interact with one another. Leaves to be considered will include, but not be limited to basic sick leave, personal leave and other contractually negotiated leaves, FMLA, FLA, and NJ paid family leave.

Presenter: Michael Kaelber, Esq., LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Online Course Development This session will review the legal requirements for gifted and talented education in New Jersey, including the recently passed Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act and its new reporting requirements. Also to be discussed will be program requirements, funding issues, identification, programming and equity issues in gifted and talented programs.

Presenters: Sandra Jacques, Esq., LEGAL ONE Supervisor of Legal Research and Content This session will provide an overview of New Jersey Registration and Residency Laws pertaining to students enrolling in a public school. Participants will gain an understanding of the limitations of a School District when seeking documentation from prospective students. Additionally there is a discussion of the residency exceptions available to students that are not domiciled within the boundaries of the School...

Presenters: Sandra Jacques, Esq., LEGAL ONE Supervisor of Legal Research and Content Development; Diahann DeRuggierio MSW, M.Ed., Bergen County Special Services, Regional Coordinator, McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless and Youth Program This Podcast will provide an overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Participants will gain an understanding of a school’s obligations to homeless students, as well as information about the application of Title I funds, the role of the District...

Presenters: John Worthington, Esq., LEGAL ONE Education Law Specialist; Geta Vogel, LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Mental Health and Wellness This episode will provide an overview of the HIB process, and more specifically, how to work with students with disabilities involved in HIB incidents as a victim, perpetrator or witness. State and federal guidance for working with students with disabilities when investigating HIB incidents will also be discussed, as well as best practices for working with thes...

Presenters: John Worthington, Esq., LEGAL ONE Education Law Specialist; Geta Vogel, LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Mental Health and Wellness This episode will address teacher certification requirements when working in a special education or general education setting and delivering instruction and services to students with disabilities. Issues caused by teacher and staff shortages will be discussed, including specifically, staffing issues in secondary settings. The TOH and TOSD licenses and their imp...

Presenters: David Nash, Esq., Director of LEGAL ONE and National Outreach, FEA; Jeff Gale, Director, Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning, NJDOE This episode will review the rise of violent extremism across the nation and the impact on public schools. Listeners will learn about how to distinguish extremism from protected First Amendment expression, strategies for identification, prevention of extremism, and response to incidents of extremism involving students, parents, communit...

Presenters: David Nash, Esq., Director of LEGAL ONE and National Outreach, FEA; Diane Litterer, Executive Director, New Jersey Prevention Network; Andrea Zapcic, Prevention Director, New Jersey Prevention Network This episode will review the impact of recreational marijuana use for adults on public schools. The episode includes a review of legal requirements and best practices for responding to marijuana and other substance use, available resources to support students, and key elements of a com...

Presenter - Sandra Jacques, Esq., LLM, LEGAL ONE Supervisor of Legal Research and Content Development In 2022, a new statute established requirements that a School District must fulfill if it has a School Newspaper. This episode will discuss the 2022 law, as well as the types of speech limitations that a District may assert pertaining to articles and/or editorials the student journalists may wish to publish.

Presenters - Michael Kaelber, Esq., LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Online Course Development; Sandra Jacques, Esq., LLM, LEGAL ONE Supervisor of Legal Research and Content Development The deadline to submit a School District’s Comprehensive Equity Plan (CEP) was extended to June 30, 2023. This episode will provide an overview of the information necessary to complete the CEP. A discussion of statutory mandates will also provide the listener with examples of actions that demonstrate actionable options ...