School Law and Bullying: Legal Obligations and Strategies

Agenda / Content Covered

12:00 - 1:30, Joanne L. Butler

1. Differentiating Bullying vs. Harassment vs. Discrimination
2. Key State and Federal Protections to Know
3. Best Practices for School Policies and Staff Training
4. Disciplining Students for Bullying: Essential Guidelines
5. Cyberbullying and Off-Campus Conduct
6. When the Bullied Child Is a Disabled Student or a Member of a Protected Class: What You Need to Know
7. Minimizing Liability: Key Steps for Schools to Take
8. Litigation Techniques for Bullied Students and Their Parents
9. Case Law Update

Accreditation Details:

Joanne L. Butler is a partner in the law firm of Schenck Price Smith & King, LLP. Ms. Butler's law practice is primarily devoted to the areas of education and public employment law. She represents numerous boards of education as general or special counsel. In addition to providing her school district clients with counsel in the many components of school law, including student, staff, and board operations issues, Ms. Butler represents her clients in litigation matters including student residency, discipline, and special education hearings, staff tenure proceedings, employment discrimination matters, grievance arbitrations, unfair practice proceedings, and bid/contracting disputes. She regularly appears before the Department of Education, the Office of Administrative Law, the Public Employees Relations Commission, the Division on Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the various state and federal courts. Ms. Butler is a trustee of the New Jersey Association of School Attorneys and a member of the National Council of School Attorneys. She also is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association's School Law Committee and its Labor and Employment Law Section. Ms. Butler frequently lectures and provides in-service training on various education and employment issues. After attending Penn State University for two years, she graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, summa cum laude. Ms. Butler attended the Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America. She served a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Clarkson S. Fisher, former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.