Morning Moderator - Amy Mace

Amy Mace - This annual seminar presentation will focus on key judicial and administrative decisions impacting schools. The presentation will summarize recent decisions relevant to public education and provide guidance on the anticipated impact of such decisions.

Mick Waldspurger -This presentation will address new issues stemming from the use of social media by school board members, school administrators, and school district employees; the clash between transgender rights and freedom of religion; and record retention issues in an electronic age.

John Edison - This session will “play the hits” from 2024 in the area of labor and employment law. The presentation will cover new legal developments, including more legislative changes applicable to Earned Sick and Safe Time, the impact of new DOL overtime rules on schools, and new EEOC enforcement guidance on workplace harassment. It will also cover some of the “oldies” that continue to challenge school administrators, such as ADA considerations following expiration of an employee’s FMLA leave, drug and alcohol testing and more!

Trevor Helmers & Dalia Istephanous - This presentation will focus on major issues regarding student discipline, including removals, suspensions, and expulsions. We will review lessons learned over the past year after the major statutory changes to student discipline in 2023. We will also discuss issues like student searches, including searches of student cell phones, and the possession of firearms and other weapons on school property.

Afternoon Moderator - Zach Cronen

Liz Vieira & Kristin Nierengarten - Tackling Title IX presents a comprehensive training on the 2024 revised Title IX regulations. It includes all required training elements for Title IX Coordinators, investigators, decision makers, appellate decision makers, and informal resolution facilitators. The major revisions include expanded liability, increased flexibility for investigations and resolution, broader definition of sex-based discrimination, new requirements for employee participation in investigations, and expanded protections for pregnant employees and students. Please note that this session is a repeat of the Tackling Title IX sessions offered on August 8 and 13.

Zach Cronen & Marcus Jardine - Artificial intelligence has been around for years. It is used in the background of many aspects of our daily life. However, recent advancements through entities like ChatGPT have made it much more accessible to employers and employees alike. In this session we’ll review what artificial intelligence is, how it’s used, and legal considerations school districts should keep in mind moving forward.

Michael Ervin & Molly Fischl -The Religious Clauses of the First Amendment require school districts to remain neutral to religions and religious practice. As schools serve students and staff of all religions, schools face a unique balancing act to remain neutral without impeding the religious rights of others. Decisions involving religion and religious conduct in schools may result in disruptive protests or displays in the learning environment, but schools must be cautious in responding to these issues, or in engaging in their own “speech.” This presentation will outline the tension of these Religious Clauses and schools’ unique duties to uphold the religious rights of their staff, students, and the public.

Abbi Kelzer & Will Seiler - In recent years, politics have infiltrated all areas of education, from the board room to the classroom. School boards and administrators often find themselves in no-win situations, stuck between competing and often polarized factions of the community. This presentation will discuss the polarizing issues school officials commonly have to navigate in the current political environment, including book bans, curriculum review, and more.