TRO Denied in Sangamon County Illinois on Governor Pritzker’s Mask Order

Aug 25, 2021 |

by Christine Self In Sangamon County Court, Judge Raylene Grischow denied Plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to enjoin Governor Pritzker’s August 4, 2021 mask requirement for schools. Plaintiffs are parents of students in McHenry...

Department of Education Releases Questions and Answers on Title IX Regulations

Jul 22, 2021 | Veronica E. Potter

by Veronica Potter On July 20, 2021, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) published it’s Questions and Answers on the Title IX Regulations on Sexual Harassment (“Q&A”). This resource contains a series of questions and...

Weighing Conviction History in Illinois Employment Decisions

Jul 19, 2021 |

by Christine Self Amendments to the Illinois Human Rights Act (“IHRA”) that took effect March 23, 2021, make it a civil rights violation for an employer to use an individual’s conviction record “as a basis to refuse to hire, to segregate, or to...

Missouri Governor Signs COVID-19 Liability Bill

Jul 13, 2021 |

by Jenna Lakamp On July 7, 2021, Missouri’s Governor Parson signed into law a bill limiting civil lawsuits that can be brought against Missouri business, religious organizations, and health care providers.  SB51 was passed by the Legislature on May 25, 2021,...

United States Supreme Court Holds Discipline for Off-Campus Speech Violated First Amendment

Jul 1, 2021 | Kylie S. Piatt

by Kylie Piatt In an 8-1 decision issued on June 23, 2021, the United States Supreme Court upheld a student’s First Amendment right to free speech related to comments made via social media while off-campus. In Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., B.L. was a...

U.S. Dept. of Ed. Says Title IX Protects Students from Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination

Jun 21, 2021 |

by Jenna Lakamp On June 16, 2021, the United States Department of Education (the “Department”) issued a Notice of Interpretation (the “Notice”) confirming that Title IX’s prohibition of sex-based discrimination includes discrimination...