Schools News
Schools
School district paying $50K to settle lawsuit from girl with asthma who couldn't wear mask during pandemic
ERIE – A father who alleged his daughter faced discrimination and retaliation from the Avonworth School District for her asthma preventing her from being able to adhere to mandatory masking during the COVID-19 pandemic, has motioned to settle his claims for $50,000.
Schools
Judge rules harassment case from former majorette against Penn State University will proceed
WILLIAMSPORT – A former majorette at Penn State University who claimed she was subject to unrelenting sexual and gender harassment from her coach during her four-year tenure in the school’s band – and that school officials did nothing to stop the coach’s behavior – will have her case proceed, overcoming a dismissal motion from the university.
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16-year-old says he was refused residency at Pa. youth facilities due to his Type I diabetes
PHILADELPHIA – A 16-year-old dependent minor alleges that several Montgomery County youth residential facilities have refused to admit him solely on the basis of his Type I diabetes diagnosis, which an accompanying lawsuit argues is disability discrimination and a violation of federal law.
Schools
York School District denies child's sexual assault took place and alleges parents made false report
YORK – York School District has denied charges from the mothers of a minor child which alleged he was the victim of a sexual assault at the hands of an older student in the restroom of his elementary school, and that the plaintiffs had supposedly made a false report with respect to that incident.
Schools
Bucks County Technical High School says it's not responsible for EMS student's injuries
PHILADELPHIA – Bucks County Technical High School has flatly denied claims from a former EMS student, who alleged she suffered a broken left pinky finger, after being compelled to participate in a mandatory impact weapons drill featuring batons and punch paddles.
Schools
Suit over stabbing of school worker aboard bus loses vicarious liability claim
PITTSBURGH – A judge has partially granted preliminary objections in a case brought by a school employee alleging she was stabbed in the back by a nurse/school bus aide during an altercation and that a medical staffing company should have known the nurse was mentally ill and prevented such an incident.
Schools
Suit surrounding teacher's molestation stayed, while settlement with Chambersburg Area School District is finalized
HARRISBURG – Litigation from a Chambersburg woman who alleged she was sexually molested by her then-high school chemistry teacher over a six-month time period in 2021-2022 and that the school district lacked adequate policies and procedures for the protection of its students, has been stayed while settlement discussions with the district are ongoing.
Schools
Garnet Valley School District settles with N.C. bus manufacturer after garage fire
MEDIA – In response to a fire which took place in its bus garage, the Garnet Valley School District has, through its insurer, settled a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of the buses to recover damages it says it sustained.
Schools
Judge again rejects brief from LGBTQ group in suit over first-graders taught transgender issues
PITTSBURGH – A federal judge has denied a motion for reconsideration regarding the rejection of an amicus brief from an LGBTQ nonprofit group in a lawsuit from a group of parents who alleged their civil rights were violated when Mount Lebanon School District taught gender dysphoria and transgender transitioning to their first-grade children.
Schools
UPenn says its faculty’s lawsuit over Congressional anti-Semitism investigation is meritless
PHILADELPHIA – Prior to filing a motion to dismiss, counsel for the University of Pennsylvania have countered litigation from a group of the school’s professors – a suit which alleged the school’s cooperation with Congressional investigations into anti-Semitic activity on campus is tantamount to a modern form of “McCarthyism” – with an argument that the case lacks legal standing.
Schools
Philadelphia's Juvenile Probation Dept. gets partial dismissal of counts in class action sexual abuse suit
PHILADELPHIA – In a class action, sexual abuse lawsuit brought by seven former residents of The Summit Academy, Philadelphia’s Juvenile Probation Department has received dismissal of certain federal civil rights and state-law claims lodged against it.
Schools
Pine-Richland School District argues parent’s suit over transgender student policy is “erroneous”
PITTSBURGH – The Pine-Richland School District has asserted that a plaintiff parent’s lawsuit – one which argues that one of its policies designed to protect the privacy of transgender students instead prevents parents from learning and making decisions about the gender status of their own children – is meritless and should be dismissed.
Schools
Judge says inter-fraternity council not obligated to defend security firm in case of Penn State student death
WILLIAMSPORT – A federal judge recently has partially granted a dismissal motion from Penn State University’s Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC), which argued it was not responsible for indemnifying and defending a named security company defendant in litigation brought by the parents of a student who died at a fraternity chapter house in 2017.
Schools
Third Circuit dismisses Meadville police officer's appeal within man's wrongful arrest lawsuit
PHILADELPHIA – A federal appellate court has dismissed an interlocutory appeal from a Meadville police officer filed within an underlying suit brought by a former Allegheny College student, who had been wrongfully accused of a barroom assault by Meadville law enforcement.
Schools
Judge throws out psych services provider's retaliation suit versus Derry Township School District
HARRISBURG – Litigation brought by a Hershey woman alleging that her comments to the Derry Township School Board on the relative dearth of mental health services provided to students there led to the District retaliating against her, has been dismissed by a federal judge.
Schools
Judge disallows amicus brief from LGBTQ group, in suit over first-graders taught transgender issues
PITTSBURGH – A federal judge has denied the submission of an amicus brief from an LGBTQ nonprofit group, in a lawsuit from a group of parents which alleged their civil rights were violated when Mount Lebanon School District provided classroom instruction to their first-grade children on the topics of gender dysphoria and transgender transitioning.
Schools
Judge denies Penn State's search for other settlements in case of death at frat house
WILLIAMSPORT – A federal judge recently denied a defendant’s request to compel discovery statements from some of his co-defendants who entered into a prior settlement, with the plaintiff parents of a Penn State University student who died at a fraternity chapter house in 2017.
Schools
Companies argue parents of 5-year-old child allegedly sexually assaulted on school bus haven't shown negligence
YORK – Two defendant bus companies have denied responsibility for the alleged sexual assault of a five-year-old minor last October who was riding the bus on her way to school, saying the plaintiffs have not properly made a case for their charges of negligence.
Schools
Drexel University and cleaning company deny employee's charges of anti-Islamic discrimination
PHILADELPHIA – Both Drexel University and a cleaning firm have denied violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through allegedly discriminating against a cleaning technician for his Islamic faith, and later firing him.
Schools
Penn State moves to dismiss majorette’s sexual and gender harassment lawsuit
WILLIAMSPORT – Penn State University has moved to dismiss a lawsuit from one of its former majorettes – which alleged she was subject to unrelenting sexual and gender harassment from her coach during her four-year tenure in the school’s band and that school officials did nothing to stop the coach’s behavior – by arguing the plaintiff has not properly pled her claims.