Episodes

Welcome to our Fifth Season! In light of recent socio-political events, you may be wondering about your school staff's free speech rights. What does the First Amendment cover? What kind of speech is actually protected by the Constitution? When should school boards be cautious about disciplining a teacher for his or her speech? Is water cooler gossip protected by free speech principles? What about criticism of the Board or other staff? How about social media posts? The answers may surprise you. J...

Welcome to our Fifth Season! In light of recent socio-political events, you may be wondering about your school staff's free speech rights. What does the First Amendment cover? What kind of speech is actually protected by the Constitution? When should school boards be cautious about disciplining a teacher for his or her speech? Is water cooler gossip protected by free speech principles? What about criticism of the Board or other staff? How about social media posts? The answers may surprise you. J...

Welcome to our Fifth Season! In light of recent socio-political events, you may be wondering about your school staff's free speech rights. What does the First Amendment cover? What kind of speech is actually protected by the Constitution? When should school boards be cautious about disciplining a teacher for his or her speech? Is water cooler gossip protected by free speech principles? What about criticism of the Board or other staff? How about social media posts? The answers may surprise you. J...

The coronavirus vaccine is here and some states, like Ohio, are prioritizing school staff in their immunization schedules. Some school districts may even be considering mandatory vaccines for their employees. Is this legally advisable? What about employees who cite religious or health-related reasons for refusing the vaccine? Join Megan Greulich, Lisa Woloszynek, and Miriam Pearlmutter for a thorough and frank conversation about mandatory vaccine programs and important pitfalls to avoid as you c...

The coronavirus vaccine is here and some states, like Ohio, are prioritizing school staff in their immunization schedules. Some school districts may even be considering mandatory vaccines for their employees. Is this legally advisable? What about employees who cite religious or health-related reasons for refusing the vaccine? Join Megan Greulich, Lisa Woloszynek, and Miriam Pearlmutter for a thorough and frank conversation about mandatory vaccine programs and important pitfalls to avoid as you c...

The coronavirus vaccine is here and some states, like Ohio, are prioritizing school staff in their immunization schedules. Some school districts may even be considering mandatory vaccines for their employees. Is this legally advisable? What about employees who cite religious or health-related reasons for refusing the vaccine? Join Megan Greulich, Lisa Woloszynek, and Miriam Pearlmutter for a thorough and frank conversation about mandatory vaccine programs and important pitfalls to avoid as you c...

Back in January, we started our discussion of the First Amendment by considering school staff and limits on their speech in a school setting. Today we continue this conversation by looking at students' Free Speech rights and under what circumstances boards of education can discipline students for their speech. Join Lisa, Megan, and Miriam for a fascinating discussion of on-campus and off-campus speech, as well as what standards apply to each set of circumstances. Also we offer a sneak peek at th...

Back in January, we started our discussion of the First Amendment by considering school staff and limits on their speech in a school setting. Today we continue this conversation by looking at students' Free Speech rights and under what circumstances boards of education can discipline students for their speech. Join Lisa, Megan, and Miriam for a fascinating discussion of on-campus and off-campus speech, as well as what standards apply to each set of circumstances. Also we offer a sneak peek at th...

Back in January, we started our discussion of the First Amendment by considering school staff and limits on their speech in a school setting. Today we continue this conversation by looking at students' Free Speech rights and under what circumstances boards of education can discipline students for their speech. Join Lisa, Megan, and Miriam for a fascinating discussion of on-campus and off-campus speech, as well as what standards apply to each set of circumstances. Also we offer a sneak peek at th...

In this episode, Megan, Lisa, and Miriam discuss AJR v. Lute, a fascinating kindergarten bullying case recently decided by the Ohio Supreme Court. What happened here? How did these five year olds end up in litigation before the highest court in the state? How did the lower courts hold, what did the Ohio Supreme Court decide, and most importantly, what can school districts learn from this chain of events? Join us for a candid discussion of how schools can address bullying in a way that not only h...

In this episode, Megan, Lisa, and Miriam discuss AJR v. Lute, a fascinating kindergarten bullying case recently decided by the Ohio Supreme Court. What happened here? How did these five year olds end up in litigation before the highest court in the state? How did the lower courts hold, what did the Ohio Supreme Court decide, and most importantly, what can school districts learn from this chain of events? Join us for a candid discussion of how schools can address bullying in a way that not only h...

In this episode, Megan, Lisa, and Miriam discuss AJR v. Lute, a fascinating kindergarten bullying case recently decided by the Ohio Supreme Court. What happened here? How did these five year olds end up in litigation before the highest court in the state? How did the lower courts hold, what did the Ohio Supreme Court decide, and most importantly, what can school districts learn from this chain of events? Join us for a candid discussion of how schools can address bullying in a way that not only h...

Like staff and students, parents can have bad days too. But sometimes their conduct crosses a line, leading school administrators to wonder if they can ban hostile or aggressive parents from school grounds altogether. What should school districts consider before taking such a drastic step? What sort of legal challenges can boards anticipate when parents are restricted from school buildings and how can administrators place their districts in the best possible position to have their decisions uphe...

Like staff and students, parents can have bad days too. But sometimes their conduct crosses a line, leading school administrators to wonder if they can ban hostile or aggressive parents from school grounds altogether. What should school districts consider before taking such a drastic step? What sort of legal challenges can boards anticipate when parents are restricted from school buildings and how can administrators place their districts in the best possible position to have their decisions uphe...

Like staff and students, parents can have bad days too. But sometimes their conduct crosses a line, leading school administrators to wonder if they can ban hostile or aggressive parents from school grounds altogether. What should school districts consider before taking such a drastic step? What sort of legal challenges can boards anticipate when parents are restricted from school buildings and how can administrators place their districts in the best possible position to have their decisions uphe...

When Brandi Levy shared a profanity-laced snap after failing to make the varsity cheer team, she probably wasn't envisioning the start of a dispute that would ultimately be decided by the United States Supreme Court. But after the school district suspended Brandi from cheer, her parents filed a lawsuit that would culminate in one of the most important free speech decisions of the last several decades. Join Lisa, Elizabeth, and Miriam to discuss off-campus speech and when school districts can dis...

When Brandi Levy shared a profanity-laced snap after failing to make the varsity cheer team, she probably wasn't envisioning the start of a dispute that would ultimately be decided by the United States Supreme Court. But after the school district suspended Brandi from cheer, her parents filed a lawsuit that would culminate in one of the most important free speech decisions of the last several decades. Join Lisa, Elizabeth, and Miriam to discuss off-campus speech and when school districts can dis...

When Brandi Levy shared a profanity-laced snap after failing to make the varsity cheer team, she probably wasn't envisioning the start of a dispute that would ultimately be decided by the United States Supreme Court. But after the school district suspended Brandi from cheer, her parents filed a lawsuit that would culminate in one of the most important free speech decisions of the last several decades. Join Lisa, Elizabeth, and Miriam to discuss off-campus speech and when school districts can dis...

The rights of transgender students is a controversial topic that more and more school districts are facing these days. From name changes to restroom usage and privacy concerns, school administrators are often asked to decide questions that may be novel and challenging for them. Join Lisa, Elizabeth, and Miriam to discuss recent legal developments in this area, including a discussion about a June, 2021 notice from the Office for Civil Rights and important case law out of the Sixth Circuit. Previ...

The rights of transgender students is a controversial topic that more and more school districts are facing these days. From name changes to restroom usage and privacy concerns, school administrators are often asked to decide questions that may be novel and challenging for them. Join Lisa, Elizabeth, and Miriam to discuss recent legal developments in this area, including a discussion about a June, 2021 notice from the Office for Civil Rights and important case law out of the Sixth Circuit. Previ...

The rights of transgender students is a controversial topic that more and more school districts are facing these days. From name changes to restroom usage and privacy concerns, school administrators are often asked to decide questions that may be novel and challenging for them. Join Lisa, Elizabeth, and Miriam to discuss recent legal developments in this area, including a discussion about a June, 2021 notice from the Office for Civil Rights and important case law out of the Sixth Circuit. Previ...

On the heels of our previous discussion about transgender students' rights in schools, this episode is about the rights of teachers and professors who have strong religious objections to using students' preferred pronouns. Professor Meriwether was fired after he declined to use a student's preferred pronouns, eventually leading to a lawsuit against his former employer. Join Lisa, Miriam, and Elizabeth as we take a deep dive into Meriwether v. Hartop, a fascinating case out of the Sixth Circuit t...

On the heels of our previous discussion about transgender students' rights in schools, this episode is about the rights of teachers and professors who have strong religious objections to using students' preferred pronouns. Professor Meriwether was fired after he declined to use a student's preferred pronouns, eventually leading to a lawsuit against his former employer. Join Lisa, Miriam, and Elizabeth as we take a deep dive into Meriwether v. Hartop, a fascinating case out of the Sixth Circuit t...

On the heels of our previous discussion about transgender students' rights in schools, this episode is about the rights of teachers and professors who have strong religious objections to using students' preferred pronouns. Professor Meriwether was fired after he declined to use a student's preferred pronouns, eventually leading to a lawsuit against his former employer. Join Lisa, Miriam, and Elizabeth as we take a deep dive into Meriwether v. Hartop, a fascinating case out of the Sixth Circuit t...