The doctrine of sovereign immunity in Florida has evolved over time as the common law and statutory environment within the state has changed. Public schools and public-school employees enjoy some level of immunity protection under both common law and statutory law. Nonetheless, Florida law creates a duty to provide a safe environment for students…

Institutional debt, also referred to as direct-to-school debt, is debt owed by students to their college or university for unpaid tuition, fees, room and board, education benefit overpayments, or fines. Unpaid tuition is the most common debt and can arise if a student enrolled with the expectation of aid that did not come through, or if a student…

Social media companies are increasingly being called to account for how their apps are affecting young people. Robert Kim explores "In re: Social Media Addiction," a lawsuit that combines multiple cases that have been brought against social media companies for their addictive effects. The cases illustrate the tension between product…

In this case the Court upheld the age-old doctrine of assumption of risk, affirming the inherent dangers of teeing off in golf. Despite a nasty trip on a tree root, the golfer was not entitled to recover for his injuries due to the primary assumption of the risk doctrine. This case sets a precedent for understanding the potential hazards of the…

A girls' field hockey team coach instructed players to warm up in an area adjacent to the school's turf field, where the boys' soccer team was practicing. Plaintiff Morgan Dennehy, a member of the field hockey team, was struck at the base of her skull by an errant soccer ball. The plaintiff filed this suit against the coach, the school and others…

The term "child find" refers to a district's ongoing obligation to evaluate upon reason to suspect a child may meet IDEA eligibility standards. This obligation consists of two components: a reasonable suspicion of eligibility and initiating the evaluation within a reasonable period of time. Because child find is a procedural matter, it…

In contrast with professional norms and best practices, the legal requirements for functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) are meager in scope and specificity (Collins & Zirkel, 2017). Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act makes no mention of FBAs or BIPs, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education…

In 2025, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will have been the primary law driving the field of special education for 50 years. A contentious area of disagreement has been the relationship between two primary mandates of the law: the obligation of schools to provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to eligible…

This case study is designed for graduate students interested in higher education finances. It presents the challenges that higher education is facing regarding financial exigency elements that have led to responses with a primary focus on mergers. This financial exigency process has also caused increased legal considerations in higher education…

The legal landscape has significantly impeded LGBTQ+ youth's rights at home and in schools. Learn about introduced and passed laws, the impact experienced by LGBTQ+ students, and how school psychologists can preserve LGBTQ+ mental health in these challenging times.

In this qualitative study, 21 Title IX federal court cases between 2000-2022 were examined. The purpose of this analysis was to explore how the changes in Title IX guidance across President George W. Bush (R), President Barack Obama (D), and President Donald Trump (R) administrations have impacted higher education institutional liability lawsuits.…

"Plyler v. Doe" (1982) is a Supreme Court case that affirms legal access to K-12 public schools for undocumented students. "Plyler" shapes K-12 classrooms wherein teaching and learning occur. However, what happens when preservice teachers are unaware of "Plyler" and its potential impact on their classroom practices?…

Aversive procedures such as seclusion and restraint are generally viewed as emergency only procedures in school settings. However, they are still used too often to respond to student behaviors in schools. The purpose of this scoping review was to determine which types of documents have been published in peer-reviewed journals, the degree of…