As reported in previous posts on the Legal Ledger blog (here and here), 2025 has been a big year for decisions issued by the Supreme Court of the United States that affect school districts. Another major decision—Mahmoud v. Taylor—was issued last…
Posted by Sara C. Clark on
Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision to hear two significant…
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion in the case Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. The case involved a high school football coach who lost his job after he knelt at midfield after games to pray. The coach sued the district for the disciplinary actions it took against him, alleging that the district’s actions violated his rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution…
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
Last Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in the case of Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which asks whether it is constitutional for school employees to pray on school grounds, at a school event, with students and other members of the school community present.
The landmark case on school prayer, Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962), concluded that the First Amendment…
Posted by Van D. Keating on
On Wednesday, the Ohio Supreme Court determined that school employees may not carry firearms unless they have peace officer training or 20 years of experience as a peace officer (Gabbard v. Madison Local School Dist. School Bd. of Edn., Slip…
Posted by Van D. Keating on
Posted by Van D. Keating on
In a 5-4 decision, the US Supreme Court ruled today that the State of Illinois’ extraction of agency fees from non-consenting public-sector employees violates the First Amendment.
The decision, in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, …
Posted by Megan E. Greulich on
On Monday, Feb. 26, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Janus v. AFCSME, Council 31 regarding the constitutionality of requiring nonmember bargaining unit…
Posted by Megan E. Greulich on
On Dec. 7, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) released a Q&A document clarifying the scope of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) following the Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS) March 2017 decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District.
The SCOTUSblog provides resources…
Posted by Jennifer Hardin on
Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court answered a question that it had deferred 35 years ago in its seminal opinion on education for children with disabilities—Board of Edn. of Hendrick Hudson Central School Dist. v. Rowley.
In Rowley, the court concluded that the guarantee of a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in what is now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is met if a child’s individualized education program (IEP) sets out a program that is “reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits.” However…