When are student sit-ins protected by the First Amendment? How can coaches maintain team cohesion and discipline without becoming draconian? Why is it always the cheer squad? In this episode, we tackle the case of Gonzales v. Burley High School, a fascinating case involving a new cheer coach and some very displeased cheerleaders. This one is pretty wild. It has to do with students being punished for protesting, but wait, there's more! It also has favoritism, retribution, grudges, and a coach's rulebook that reads more like a dictator's manifesto than a cheerleading guidebook. It's got a laundry list of discipline, but it's also got a little youth resilience in the face of injustice. Grab your pompoms. This episode has a lot of S.P.I.R.I.T. We also discuss an update on the Mahmoud v. McKnight case that we covered in Episode 12: LGBTQ-Inclusive Books and Parental Rights, dealing with a district's decision to remove parents' ability to opt out of the use of newly adopted LGBTQ-inclusive texts in the elementary school classroom. Keywords: First Amendment, Free Speech, Student Protest, Extracurriculars, Student Discipline, Parental Rights, LGBTQ, Religion

When can schools be held legally responsible for failing to address student sexual harassment? What's in the Biden Administration's new Title IX regulations? In this special themed episode, we talk about all things Title IX! For our bellringer, we talk about the new Title IX regs and how they increase protections for LGBTQ+ individuals as well as streamline investigations of sex discrimination and sexual harassment. We then do a deep dive into the Supreme Court case of Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, which set the standard for when schools must respond to allegations of peer-to-peer sexual harassment. Keywords: Title IX, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, LGBTQ+, Due Process, Administrative Regulations, Spending Clause

What is an 'appropriate' education for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act? How many acronyms are too many acronyms? In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Janet Decker, a school law professor and expert in special education law, to discuss Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. This case raised the bar for when an IEP provides students a FAPE under the IDEA. See what we mean about the acronyms? We also talk about recent developments in a lawsuit challenging Florida's law that prevents teachers from using pronouns that differ from their sex assigned at birth. Keywords: Special Education Law, Students with Disabilities, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Free Appropriate Public Education, LGBTQ+, First Amendment