MELISSA M. CARLETON is of counsel with Bricker & Eckler LLP, in Columbus, Ohio. Ms. Carleton advises higher education entities in a variety of areas, including student conduct and employment matters. She has a great deal of experience in guiding the institutional response to allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Ms. Carleton regularly works with colleges, universities, and K-12 school districts to comply with Title IX and, where applicable, the Clery Act, as well as implementing guidance and regulations. She is available to conduct impartial investigations, as well as to provide reviews of policies, procedures, and case files from a neutral perspective. Ms. Carleton trains administrators, staff members, and other investigators using real-world examples to help learn how to navigate the trickiest situations with regard to sexual misconduct occurring within public and private entities. She is a member of Columbus Bar Association, National Association of College and University Attorneys, National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys, Ohio Association of College and University Business Officers, and Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys. She speaks regularly at regional and national conferences and most recently was a presenter on “Policies and Procedures Regarding Sexual Abuse of Minors,” Leadership Conference of Women Religious Region 6, March 2019. Ms. Carleton has been named Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers (Schools & Education), 2018-2019. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree, magna cum laude, from The Ohio State University and her J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

PHILIP E. STERN supports the school law and employment and labor practice groups for DiFrancesco Bateman Kunzman Davis Lehrer & Flaum, PC. Mr. Stern has more than three decades of experience in all facets of education law, representing countless public and private school districts, colleges and universities in collective bargaining, special education, employment litigation, and student and staff disciplinary issues. His legal work on behalf of educational institutions places a high priority upon professional development and training, seeking to prevent legal problems before they become costly and time-consuming litigation matters. He has negotiated countless collective bargaining agreements on behalf of educational institutions, utilizing techniques derived from both positional and interest-based bargaining. In the educational setting, Mr. Stern's negotiating philosophy is shaped by the client’s ultimate goal to facilitate excellent teaching and learning. Toward that end, tenets of fairness, respect, and discipline have earned him a reputation of integrity by participants on both sides of the bargaining table. As in-house counsel for the South Orange and Maplewood School District from 2013 to 2016, Mr. Stern worked extensively with the district in furtherance of meaningful solutions to litigation challenges. He has litigated in all New Jersey judicial and administrative forums, from the New Jersey Supreme Court to the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission to the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law. While he appreciates the need to avoid litigation whenever possible, he also recognizes that, at times, a client’s interests require the time and commitment of a trial. As such, he has litigated full jury trials and administrative hearings. Mr. Stern earned his B.A. degree from Wesleyan University, his M.A. degree in educational administration from Montclair State College, and his J.D. degree from New York Law School.