After the Department of Education issued new regulations on Title IX sexual harassment in May 2020, school systems across the country were left scrambling to put policies and procedures in place to implement the new requirements. This webinar explains why NCSBA issued six new policies on discrimination, harassment, and bullying in July 2020 and what’s included in those new policies. Most importantly, the webinar will give you a working knowledge of the two new Title IX sexual harassment policies and what happens next after your school system receives a report or complaint of sexual harassment.

Presented by: Justice Warren, Staff Attorney

This webinar will discuss how LEAs in North Carolina can address the mental health needs of students through compliance with the State Board of Education’s recently adopted School-Based Mental Health Initiative policy.

Presented by: Sam Thorp, Staff Attorney

Compliance with the Open Meetings Law provides for transparency and accountability and is vital to good school board governance. This webinar will provide an overview of the North Carolina Open Meetings Law as it applies to local school board members and official school board meetings. Topics will include types of meetings, notice requirements, open versus closed sessions, meeting minutes, public access and attendance, electronic and remote meetings, and other current and emerging issues related to legally compliant school board meetings.

Presented by: Jim O’Rourke, Assistant Legal Counsel for Superintendent Searches

The chair of a local board of education is responsible for presiding over meetings of the board, but what other duties does the chair have? Join this webinar for an overview of how board meetings are to be organized, scheduling and calling meetings, setting agendas, permissible reasons for closed session, and other essential topics.

Presented by: Janine Murphy, Assistant Legal Counsel

Are communications sent via private electronic devices and accounts public records? Can board members be held personally liable for failing to comply with the public records law? What questions should board members ask to assess their district’s compliance with the law? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, make plans to attend this webinar for a primer on North Carolina’s public records law.

Presented by: Kathy Boyd, Senior Staff Attorney

When a school district hosts activities and individuals during extracurricular and co-curricular activities the district voluntarily assumes some risks of liability. Those risks are even greater in a global pandemic. This webinar will cover the school’s potential liability risk and defenses when hosting school events; the liability risks of “shutting down” some, or all, extracurricular activities or visitors during the pandemic; and creative approaches to protecting students and staff while minimizing risks.

Presented by: Nancy Black, Staff Attorney

This webinar will provide an overview of the constitutional and state law requirements related to student discipline. Listeners will gain an understanding of what are short-term suspensions, long-term suspensions, 365-day suspensions, and expulsions, as well as the due process rights of students under North Caroline student discipline law.

Presented by: McKenna Osborn, Staff Attorney