Education Law

Successfully defended public sector employers across Ohio in numerous unreported labor arbitration hearings.

Successfully defended a school board against claims that a majority of its members violated the Open Meetings Act through telephone and email discussions.

Successfully brought declaratory judgment and breach of contract actions on behalf of Butler Tech against its former Director of Police Training.

Successfully prosecuted action before the ODE Superintendent of Public Instruction and subsequent court action to recover tuition against non-resident parents.

Successfully defended a board's action to non-renew its former superintendent against claims that the board breached his employment contract.

Defended a school board against a workers' compensation death claim. The court ruled that decedent's death did not occur in the course of and arising out of her employment with her employing school board under ORC 4123.01.

Defended a school board against an injunction filed by a student seeking reversal of his athletic suspension. We established new law in Ohio when the court ruled that the student had no legal right to appeal his athletic suspension.

Defended a school board against an Open Meetings Act and due process challenge filed by a terminated school employee. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the terminated employee had no right under ORC Section 121.22 to compel the school board to hold the hearing on his discharge in public.

Represented a managed care organization in its negotiation of a strategic, multi-state alliance with another managed care organization. The firm represented the managed care organization during in-person and telephonic negotiations regarding the alliance and assisted in the drafting of the master alliance agreement and associated state-specific agreements. The firm also counseled the managed care organization with regard to the various legal implications of the alliance. Following the formation of the alliance, the firm has assisted the managed care organization with implementation in multiple states.

Served as the sole presenter at training workshops for Title IX investigators at the college and K-12 levels, helping administrators to become trauma-informed and approach cases involving sexual assault and intimate partner violence in an appropriate and equitable manner.  

Successfully resolved claims of failure to accommodate a student in university programming.

Obtained a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court of Ohio in a case involving a challenge by a non-teaching school employee who claimed the Board of Education violated the Open Meetings Act by deliberating about the decision to terminate his employment in executive session. The Court rejected  the appellant’s argument that an employee’s “Loudermill” hearing rights could serve as a basis to demand that deliberations about his employment occur in public. This decision sets favorable precedent for districts and public bodies across the State of Ohio.

Won motion for summary judgment on a claim brought by a student disciplinary respondent against a college in a case involving allegations of sexual assault.

Negotiated a settlement among school district parties to an annexation agreement regarding billing issues.

Drafted College Credit Plus agreements on behalf of both school districts and colleges to establish advanced standing programs.

Prepared and revised Title IX policies and procedures to comply with changing guidance.

Revised student handbooks, athletic handbooks, extracurricular policies and drug testing policies for numerous school districts.

Successfully defended a school district’s termination of an employee, obtaining a grievance arbitration award upholding the termination and dismissal of an EEOC charge alleging race and national origin discrimination.

Successfully defended the nonrenewal of an employee’s contract by a county board of developmental disabilities, obtaining dismissals of the employee’s appeals to the State Personnel Board of Review, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and the Tenth District Court of Appeals.

Obtained hearing officer decision recommending termination of school superintendent based on falsification of student attendance data.

Prepared school board resolutions and contracts related to shared services for school district clients.

Successfully represented a school district in federal court against claims of bullying, disability discrimination under ADA and Section 504, and sexual harassment under Title IX.

Advised school districts regarding Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) issues relating to employee fitness for duty.

Successfully defended a school district in a teacher non-renewal appeal that involved the waiver of evaluation rights.

Represented a public school district accused of disparate student discipline on the basis of race and resolved the matter with no finding against the client.

Successfully represented a public school district accused of maintaining unequal sports facilities for male and female athletes.

Negotiated a successful resolution in a special education due process request and suspension appeal relating to drug possession on school grounds.

Represented a school district in connection with the formation of multiple non-teaching bargaining units, including handling a State Employment Relations Board (SERB) hearing on petition for representation, advising on union campaign issues and negotiating initial contracts.

Represented a college in two related but inconsistent lawsuits regarding the expulsion of a student accused of rape. One of the lawsuits, which claimed that the college had violated Title IX, was voluntarily dismissed after a judge sustained a Motion for Summary Judgment in the other. 

Successfully defended against allegations made by a parent who claimed that the professor's grade for his child were based on favoritism and that the poor grade prevented the student from being considered for a scholarship. 

Represented a college in a gender and disability discrimination and wrongful discharge suit. Achieved successful result, including jury award for fraud in counterclaim.

Served as a member of the trial team that prosecuted four successful constitutional challenges to Ohio's system of funding public schools on behalf of over 500 school districts, resulting in total funding for school facilities in excess of $12 billion.