Faced with suit, New Jersey district repeals 24/7 student conduct policy
As reported in phillyBurbs.com, the Delran Board of Education decided to throw out the school district’s 24/7 rule from the student code of conduct.
Continue reading...Archived entries for New Jersey
New Jersey district scraps “24/7″ student conduct policy
The Courier-Post reports that the Haddonfield School Board has voted to eliminate the “24/7” student-conduct policy at Haddonfield Memorial High School.
Continue reading...New Jersey court finds no violation of state anti-discrimination law in district’s assignment of special education students to one school
A Bergen County Superior Court has ruled that a school district had not failed to provide disabled students receiving special education services with reasonable accommodations in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination when the district assigned those students to one school, rather than assigning each to their neighborhood school.
Continue reading...New Jersey anti-bullying task force says school administrators need more discretion in harassment/bullying investigations
According to The Record, a task force examining the impact of New Jersey’s 2011 anti-bullying law concluded that it has been helpful overall, but that administrators should have more discretion in deciding when to launch full-scale inquiries into allegations of harassment.
Continue reading...New Jersey appellate court upholds district’s removal of teacher who posted derogatory remarks about her students on Facebook
A two-judge panel of the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court has ruled that school district officials were justified in terminating an elementary school teacher for posting derogatory remarks on Facebook about her students, including referring to them as “future criminals.”
Continue reading...New Jersey Governor signs new law requiring all schools to have defibrillators
According to the Clifton Journal reported on northjersey.com, Governor Chris Christie has signed into law A-1608, “Janet’s Law”, which requires all public and nonpublic schools to have automated external defibrillators on site, as a measure to safeguard the lives of New Jersey’s K-12 students.
Continue reading...New Jersey appellate court rules that district regulation barring participation in extracurricular activities by a student arrested for a criminal offense violates state law
The New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, has affirmed the decision of the state Commissioner of Education, ruling that a school district’s regulation barring a student from participating in extracurricular activities for criminal, off-campus conduct is facially overbroad, and exceeds the authority given to school boards under state laws and regulations.
Continue reading...New Jersey district to pay Hispanic students $500,000 to settle suit over alleged discriminatory discipline
The Courier-Post reports that the Camden Board of Education has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a suit brought by seven Hispanic students, who were made to eat lunch on the floor as punishment for spilling a jug of water.
Continue reading...Federal appellate court finds New Jersey school district did not violate IDEA when student’s IEP did not provide for interaction with non-disabled peers
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision granting summary judgment in favor of the school district, holding that it did not violate the least restrictive environment requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when it developed an individualized education plan that placed a disabled student in a class with other students with the same disability, and did not provide for interaction with non-disabled peers.
Continue reading...New Jersey not fully funding schools for reimbursements to implement anti-bullying legislation
As reported on pressofatlanticcity.com, New Jersey Department of Education data reveals school districts and charter schools requested almost $5 million in reimbursements for the cost of implementing the state’s new anti-bullying law in 2011-12. However, schools will receive only 20% of that because the state authorized only $1 million for the program, leaving the law open to another legal challenge as an unfunded state mandate.
Continue reading...
