News & Views
Our one-stop education law blog on the issues Ohio schools face today, in addition to news updates about the firm.
Changes to Medical Marijuana Classifications Mean New Conversations for Schools
The U.S. Department of Justice has issued an order reclassifying medical marijuana from Schedule I drugs to Schedule III drugs. Schedule III drugs generally have acceptable medical benefits with a doctor’s prescription and moderate potential for abuse or dependence. This new classification of medical marijuana has implications for school districts from an employer perspective and from the perspective of supporting students with disabilities.
Legal Readiness for the Upcoming School Year: School District Summer Checklist
As another school year comes to a close, summer provides an important opportunity for districts to review compliance obligations, finalize personnel decisions, and prepare for the upcoming school year. Reviewing deadlines, updating policies, and coordinating with administrative staff now can help avoid issues later in the year.
Ohio Federal Court Extends “Controversial Issues” Policy to Classroom Libraries
A federal court in Southern Ohio has ruled that school districts have some leeway to regulate teachers’ classroom libraries under board policies on teaching “controversial issues.” In Cahall v. New Richmond Exempted Village School District, the district suspended a teacher for three days for putting certain books in her classroom library for students to access, without administrative approval. The court did not hold that the controversial issues policy would allow for discipline of a teacher in all cases involving classroom libraries. But the Cahall case does open the door to discipline for teachers who knowingly put controversial books in their classroom libraries without administrative approval.
Employee Social Media: When Is It the District’s Business?
Recent events have brought the question front and center: When can public schools take action to regulate employees’ use of their personal social media accounts? While school employees have the right to their personal freedom of speech, those rights are limited by several key factors: (1) the subject of the speech, (2) whether the speech can be attributed to the district, and (3) whether the speech creates a substantial disruption in school, or diminishes loyalty and trust in the district.