Student Discipline

In a decision issued earlier this month, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that disciplining students for using biological pronouns rather than their classmates’ preferred pronouns violates the First Amendment. The case, Defending Edn. v. Olentangy Local School Dist. Bd. of Edn., was originally brought in response to three district policies regarding harassment, bullying and the use of personal communication devices.

In this week's Legal Ledger Sidebar, OSBA attorneys Jennifer Hardin and John Price talk to Scott Gerfen about the new school disciplinary provisions enacted in House Bill 206.

Earlier this week, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education issued new guidance documents on Section 504 (Sec. 504) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Sec. 504 prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities by public schools and other institutions receiving federal funds.  The four new guidance documents provide assistance to school districts on Sec. 504 rights of students with specific conditions.

The June issue of Journal, OSBA’s award-winning magazine, features an entire section on hot topics for school districts. The articles, written by six members of the Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys (OCSBA), discuss five topics of critical interest to Ohio school board members and administrators.

In the wake of 17 deaths in the shooting at Marjory Stoneham Douglas High School on Feb. 14, students across the country are organizing public statements, letters to the editor and planned walkouts to protest what students perceive as a lack of effective response by leaders.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, which was created with the goal of transforming a society that accepts bullying into one that recognizes that bullying can be addressed through education and support. It’s a great time for your school community to raise awareness of bullying and its consequences, and to promote your bullying prevention efforts.

Restraint and seclusion reporting

This week's blog post focuses on three tidbits of educational news involving Ohio’s truancy laws, the new reading tests required for some teaching licenses, and a policy brief on the educational use of technology for young children. 

Senate education committee to focus on truancy

The Harlem Shake is a popular dance video that has spawned hundreds of thousands of imitators. For those of you unfamiliar with the dance craze, a few of my favorite versions can be found here, here, and here. The videos usually feature a person dancing alone, then a group joining in wildly a