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Category: Current Issues

Here is a compendium of current issues that affect Ohio’s public entities, plus McGown & Markling news of note.

The U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies When Litigants Are Required To Exhaust IDEA Administrative Remedies Prior To Filing Lawsuits

In Fry v. Napoleon Community Schools, 580 U.S. ____ (2017), the United States Supreme Court held that administrative exhaustion “is not necessary when the gravamen of the plaintiff’s suit is something other than the denial of the [Individuals With Disabilities Education Act’s (“IDEA”)] core guarantee—what the Act calls a ‘free and appropriate public education.’” The […]

The Trump Administration Signals That It May Intend To Abandon Defense Of The United States Department Of Education’s Guidance Regarding Transgender Students

On February 10, 2017, President Donald J. Trump’s Administration dropped the federal government’s challenge to a nationwide injunction prohibiting the United States Department of Education (“Department”) from enforcing its interpretation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) regarding bathroom access for transgender students. As reported in our August 21, 2016 blog, […]

School Board Settles Open Meetings Act Lawsuit

On January 17, 2017, The Plain Dealer reported that the East Cleveland City School District Board of Education settled an Open Meetings Act legal dispute with one of its board members by agreeing to (1) comply with the Open Meetings Act, (2) amend prior minutes, (3) rescind improper board policies, and (4) pay $100,000 in […]

Bah Humbug? Court Rules On The Use Of A Christmas Nativity Scene

During this holiday season, let’s take the time to celebrate our most cherished education law tradition: the Establishment Clause. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” This pithy phrase provides a minefield of potential pitfalls for schools to navigate under the best of […]

Federal Appellate Court Denies Petition To Stay Order From Ohio Federal District Court Permitting Transgender Student Access To School Restrooms Consistent With Her Gender Identity

On December 12, 2016, a federal appellate court denied an Ohio school district’s request to lift an Ohio federal district court order directing the school district to permit a transgender student, who is biologically male but identifies as female, access to a bathroom in accordance with her gender identity. As we reported in our September […]