Education Law

Plaintiffs say Harvard gave Asian-American applicants lower ratings on personality traits

Plaintiffs suing Harvard over its admissions policies say the university depressed the number of Asian-American admittees partly by giving them lower ratings for likability and other personality traits. Students for Fair Admissions analyzed admissions data from more than 160,000 applicants between 2000 to 2015, and filed its findings Friday with…

Jun 15, 2018 11:48 AM CDT

Justice Department backs conservative students who claim universities stifle speech

The U.S. Justice Department is backing students in several cases who argue their universities are restricting their First Amendment right to express their views. In the most recent case, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in a lawsuit that contends the University of Michigan’s rules against bullying and…

Jun 14, 2018 4:15 PM CDT

Harvard president says admissions data used by lawsuit plaintiffs is taken out of context

Outgoing Harvard University president Drew Faust told students in an email on Tuesday the plaintiffs suing the school over its admissions policies are relying on “misleading, selectively presented data taken out of context.” Faust sent the email in advance of an expected court filing on Friday by the group Students…

Jun 13, 2018 10:07 AM CDT

ABA asks House members to oppose law ending Public Service Loan Forgiveness program

ABA President Hilarie Bass has written to members of the House of Representatives, asking them to oppose legislation that would end the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Jun 12, 2018 5:02 PM CDT

Judge rules that transgender teen Gavin Grimm is protected by Title IX and the Constitution

A federal judge in Virginia cited the Constitution and education law in refusing to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a transgender former high school student who wanted to use a restroom that matched his gender identity. U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen ruled Tuesday in a suit filed by Gavin…

May 23, 2018 9:10 AM CDT

School lawyer asks about birds-and-bees talk, mom’s terminated pregnancy in teen’s bullying suit

A lawyer representing Nashville, Tennessee, schools wants to know how a teen suing the school has “developed sexually” and whether she is aware of her mother’s sexual history.

May 15, 2018 7:30 AM CDT

Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights begins dismissing hundreds of complaints

Citing a new protocol, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has begun dismissing hundreds of complaints. The protocol, aimed at clearing up a jammed pipeline, allows dismissal of serial filings or complaints considered too burdensome because of multiple targets, the New York Times reports. The changes also drop an…

Apr 24, 2018 11:17 AM CDT

Salary history doesn’t justify paying women less, 9th Circuit rules in opinion written by late judge

An en banc federal appeals court ruled Monday that salary history cannot be used to justify paying less to women in comparable jobs. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that salary history is not relevant in a suit under the Equal Pay Act, report the Recorder,…

Apr 10, 2018 12:16 PM CDT

Nearly 200 female lawyers march to Oklahoma statehouse to support teachers

Nearly 200 female lawyers marched to the Oklahoma statehouse on Monday to speak with lawmakers about funding solutions to end the teacher walkout. The lawyers, all dressed in black, walked to the Capitol from the Oklahoma Bar Association, report the Tulsa World, News9 (in stories here and here), Newson6 and…

Apr 10, 2018 9:44 AM CDT

US urges public disclosure of Harvard documents in group’s suit alleging admissions bias

The U.S. Justice Department is urging a federal judge in Boston to allow public release of documents in a student group’s suit claiming bias against Asian-Americans in the admissions process. The DOJ recommended that U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs not keep the admissions data under seal, report CNN, the National…

Apr 9, 2018 11:19 AM CDT

‘Significant noncompliance’ could be added reason for public notice of law school problems

A proposal to add “significant noncompliance” to the list of when the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar may post public notice about a law school not meeting a standard—rather than keeping the matter confidential—is being considered by the group’s council, which met Feb. 9 in San Antonio.

Feb 13, 2018 8:30 AM CST

9th Circuit upholds $25M Trump University settlement that gives ‘almost a full recovery’ to students

A Florida bankruptcy lawyer who paid about $19,000 for classes at Trump University can’t opt out of a $25 million settlement and bring her own lawsuit, a move that would derail the entire settlement, a federal appeals court has ruled. The lawyer, Sherri Simpson, missed the deadline to opt out,…

Feb 7, 2018 10:45 AM CST

The war on lunch shaming: Policymakers work to protect kids from stigma

When Jennifer Ramo became executive director of the legal nonprofit New Mexico Appleseed in 2009, the Albuquerque Public Schools were making national news for serving cold cheese sandwiches instead of hot meals to kids whose parents were behind on their lunch tab.

Feb 1, 2018 2:50 AM CST

State AG’s office won’t stop 6th grader from taking medical marijuana at school

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office and a Chicago suburban school district reached a temporary agreement to allow a sixth grade student to use her medical marijuana prescription on school grounds to treat her seizures.. The Chicago Tribune and USA Today had the story. Ashley Surin was diagnosed with leukemia at…

Jan 17, 2018 3:57 PM CST

Some Charlotte School of Law students wrongly denied discharge of federal loans, NC AG’s office says

Dozens of former Charlotte School of Law students who were on approved leaves of absence when the law school closed in August were improperly denied closed-school loan discharge, according to the North Carolina attorney general’s office.

Dec 14, 2017 12:00 PM CST