The School District Was Not Liable for Sexual Abuse by Teacher

by Jennifer Childress | Mar 7, 2023 | Legal Developments

A federal court ruled that Grapeland Independent School District was not liable under Title IX for a teacher’s sexual abuse of a student. The teacher abused the student beginning in the fifth grade. While staff members observed the teacher showing favoritism to the...

Appeals Court Reverses Judgment for District in Title IX Suit

by Jennifer Childress | Dec 15, 2022 | Legal Developments

Jane Roe, a former student of Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, sued the district alleging that when she was fourteen years old, she was sexually assaulted by another student in a stairwell at Cypress Creek High School, following an abusive relationship...

Student’s Excessive Force Claims Against Resource Officer to Proceed

by Jennifer Childress | Nov 21, 2022 | Legal Developments

A federal appeals court in Florida considered a suit involving a student’s allegations of excessive force by a school resource officer. The trial court dismissed the suit against the officer, finding that he was entitled to immunity.  An appeal was sought on behalf of...

Student’s Race Discrimination Claim Was Properly Dismissed

by Jennifer Childress | Nov 7, 2022 | Legal Developments

The student sued Austin Independent School District, alleging racial discrimination by other students. The trial court dismissed the suit, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal. The student alleged twelve separate incidents but only three went...

Practice of Scanning Student’s Room Before Online Testing Deemed Unconstitutional

by Jennifer Childress | Oct 31, 2022 | Legal Developments

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Cleveland State University offered courses online and used various methods to ensure the integrity of remote tests. One method involved using a student’s camera briefly to scan the test taker’s surroundings for potential...