Our Franczek team received many inquiries about staffing options for classrooms where the teacher of record is teaching remotely. While many districts are staffing these classrooms with licensed paraprofessionals, the question is whether non-licensed staff can also perform this duty. […]
OCR and OSEP Issue New Q&As related to Special Education in the Current COVID-19 Environment
October 5, 2020
Originally posted on our Special Education Law Insights blog. OCR recently published a Q&A document providing expectations for compliance with civil rights laws during the pandemic. While OCR is not responsible for enforcing the IDEA, it is responsible for Section 504. Because […]
In a recent advisory opinion, the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor found that records of users the Village of Orland Park blocked from its social media accounts are public records subject to release under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The decision reiterates […]
A recent decision of the Public Access Counselor reminds public bodies that the OMA applies to gatherings of public bodies even if the meeting is intended to be informal and does not involve any action by the public body. 2020 […]
OSHA Issues Sobering Reminder to Employers About Reporting COVID-19 Related Fatalities and Hospitalizations
October 5, 2020
As if employers aren’t already tested managing the challenges of the pandemic, on September 30, OSHA updated its COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions to remind employers about their duty to report and record COVID-19 related fatalities and hospitalizations. The reporting of […]
Last summer, the Illinois General Assembly enacted SB75, which among other mandates, requires all Illinois employers to provide annual anti-harassment training to their employees. Illinois employers have until December 31, 2020 to provide this training. The Illinois Department of Human […]
Don’t Be Spooked! Adverse Discrimination and Harassment Case Disclosures due to the IDHR by October 31
October 1, 2020
As previously reported, the Illinois Human Rights Act was amended to require employers to report adverse judgments and administrative rulings in cases involving sexual harassment or unlawful discrimination to the Illinois Department of Human Rights (“IDHR”). For additional background on […]
Executive Order Bans Certain Race and Sensitivity Training Topics in Employment and Education
September 28, 2020
On September 22, 2020, President Donald Trump issued a controversial Executive Order “combat[ting] offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping and scapegoating” by federal contractors and recipients of federal grant funds, including schools, colleges, and universities. The order essentially bans […]