QUARTERLY E-NEWSLETTER

July – September 2012

September 2012

A new law in Illinois (PA 97-0975) changes the definition of "chronic truant" in the Juvenile Court Act from being a child absent for 10% of the school year to 5% of the school year, in line with the definition utilized in the School Code.

The 7th Circuit Appellate Court affirmed a District Court's decision to dismiss a liability case against a school district filed by the parent of an 8-year-old boy who was involved in an inappropriate relationship with his female teacher. In N.R. Doe v. St. Francis School District, #12-1039, the appellate court found that the district staff, including the principal and the superintendent, "acted promptly" after receiving notice of the allegations against the teacher, which included sexual text messaging, invitations to her apartment, and sexual contact (kissing and petting). The district was ultimately not liable for "negligent infliction of emotional distress," after the superintendent "did everything she could do given the information available."

A new opinion from the 7th Circuit, Gschwind v. Heiden , #12-1755 , allows a freedom of speech civil rights complaint involving a teacher against his school district to move forward despite the District court's dismissal of the case. The case involved a teacher who had been threatened on two different occasions by the same student. After receiving the threats, the teacher reported the incidents to the school's police liaison, assistant principal and principal. While the police liaison encouraged the teacher to file a criminal complaint regarding the matter, the assistant principal and principal both refused to support the criminal investigation, for fear of the student's parents filing a retaliation lawsuit against the school. The teacher decided to move forward with the criminal complaint, and the very next day he received a "unsatisfactory" evaluation (his first) from the assistant principal and was later threatened with termination if he refused to resign his teaching position. The civil rights suit was dismissed (via the School District's granted Summary Judgment Motion) by the District court, however, because it agreed with the school district that the complaint "did not involve a matter of public concern," and therefore was not protected by the First Amendment. The Illinois Supreme court disagreed, arguing that it was clear the teacher had filed the complaint "in part to help ensure the smooth and safe operation of the school and everyone inside and, more importantly to a free-speech claim, to bring to the public light the face that such an incident had occurred." The case has been remanded back to the District court.

August 2012

A new 20-year study from UC Berkeley funded by the National Institute of Mental Health finds that more than 20% of girls diagnosed with specific types of ADHD reported at least one suicide attempt in their lifetime, and more than 50% of the girls reported self-injurious behaviors.

A recent Illinois Appellate court decision, In re: Marquita M., Case No. 4-11-0011, rules that schools can question and elicit formal statements and/or confessions from students regarding alleged crimes without first reading their Miranda Rights to them. The judge

LEGAL UPDATES

indicated that since the child was not in custody (being physically restrained, subjected to a long line of questioning, intimidated by the police liaison officer or taken to the police station) at the time of the statements were made, Miranda Rights were not required. 

A new Senate Bill 638 extends timelines (from 9/1/12 to 9/1/13) for persons to be accepted into an Alternative Teacher Certification program, and allows teaching to be performed in charter schools as well as public schools.

July 2012

Illinois lawmakers expanded the definition of the term "neglected child" to include children who are subjected to an environment which creates "the likelihood of harm," or who "blatant[ly] disregard" caretaker responsibilities. (PA 97-0803)

The Illinois Appellate Court dismissed a lawsuit, C.E. and C.L. v BOE East St. Louis No. 189, Case No. 5-11-0390, in which the parents of parochially-placed students were suing their local school district in order to secure busing transportation on days when the public schools were not in attendance.  

The new "Military Family Licensing Act" (PA 97-0710) was signed into law by Governor Quinn which allows for temporary expedited professional and educational licenses for active duty members of the military and their spouses after relocation to Illinois for military service.

The Duty to Inform a Prospective School Employer of a Prior Hotline Made by a Former School Employer: Is This Duty Applicable to Private Schools?

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Date Title/Topic Organization

November 17, 2012 School Violence and Bullying Illinois Association of School Boards

January 29, 2013 IEPs – Be an Active and Informed Partner in the IEP Process

Warren Township Youth and Family Services

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