The LEGAL ONE Podcast NJPSA/FEA

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA
Guest - George Guy, Principal, Cherry Hill Public Schools
Discrimination in our schools can take many forms.  Sometimes it takes the form of overt, intentional acts which any reasonable person should recognize.  But other times, discrimination can take more insidious, subtle forms.  Learning how to identify those subtle forms of discrimination, including microaggressions and implicit biases, is critical for school districts in order to meet their legal duty of care and to ensure a school climate and culture that embraces the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  In this episode, participants will learn about the legal obligations related to identifying, responding to, and overcoming microaggressions and implicit biases that impact the school setting for all stakeholders.

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA
Guest - Rebecca Gold, LEGAL ONE Consultant
With school districts facing increasing staffing shortages, efforts to promote diversity in hiring have become more challenging than ever.  Those efforts have become ever more complicated by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision invalidating the use of certain affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.  However, the legal requirement to promote diversity in hiring and ensure nondiscriminatory hiring and promotions remains in effect for all New Jersey school districts.  In this episode, participants will gain an understanding of current legal requirements, the impact of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, and the elements related to recruitment and hiring practices that must be addressed in each district’s Comprehensive Equity Plan.  Listeners will also learn about innovative recruiting strategies that have made a real difference for New Jersey school districts.

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA
Guest - Maureen A. Brogan, LPC, ACS, DAAETS, DRCC, Program Manager, Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth (TLC), Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care
Recent data suggests an alarming spike in mental health needs for students and staff in our public schools.  In this episode, participants will learn about legal requirements under state and federal law related to addressing mental health needs, including a new State law regarding depression screening for students, expansions of state requirements related to health insurance coverage, an overview of the interactive process and reasonable accommodations, and key mental health considerations related to school security.

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA
Guest - John Worthington, Esq., Coordinator of Special Education Law, FEA
New Jersey has one of the most expansive anti-discrimination laws in the nation, which provides strong protections for students and staff members in our schools.  In this episode, participants will learn about the broad protections available under NJLAD, including protected categories, recent expansions and clarifications of those protections related to racial discrimination, protections from discrimination linked to hair type/style/texture, and gender equity, including equity in pay and protections for the rights of new mothers, and the various options available for raising a claim of discrimination against a school district.

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA
Guests - Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director, Garden State Equality and Kate Okeson, Co-Founder, Monmouth Consortium for LGBTQ+ Youth and NJ High School Art Teacher
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Across the nation, a concerted effort is underway to pressure local school districts to reduce or even abandon essential policies, practices, and curricula that are intended to promote a safe and supportive learning environment for LGBTQ+ students. These efforts have the potential to exponentially increase the risk of harm to students. In this episode, participants will learn about the legal requirements to support LGBTQ+ students under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and other state and federal laws; key elements of guidance developed by the New Jersey Department of Education and Attorney General related to supporting transgender students; and the legal consequences and foreseeable dangers related to adopting board policies that require the outing of LGBTQ+ students to parents or guardians.

Presenter: Michael Kaelber, Esq., LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Online Course Development
This session will discuss the various leaves available to school employees and how they interact with one another. Leaves to be considered will include, but not be limited to basic sick leave, personal leave and other contractually negotiated leaves, FMLA, FLA, and NJ paid family leave.