October 18, 2024

Pacifica Attorneys Present at State and National School Personnel Conferences

Pacifica School Districts attorneys Sam Chalfant, Carlos Chavez, Curtis Leonard, and Sarah Mack presented in October at two annual conferences serving school personnel administrators. Their sessions covered important legal trends and considerations in the areas of special education and employee discipline. Below are details about these presentations.

Washington State Personnel Association/Washington Schools Risk Management Pool 2024 School Law Conference

Carlos and Sarah presented on Oct. 14 at the 2024 School Law Conference hosted by the Washington School Personnel Association (WSPA) and the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool (WSRMP). The annual conference brings together Washington K-12 human resources personnel and other school administrators to learn about current legal issues affecting public schools and districts.

Carlos’s presentation, “Special Ed: Unreasonable Decisions,” examined recent cases whose outcomes present new challenges to schools and districts when working with students with disabilities.

Sarah’s session, “Employee Discipline Meets Free Speech,” discussed key considerations for school administrators as they balance the free speech rights of staff with their educational responsibilities.

American Association of School Personnel Administrators 86th Annual Conference

On Oct. 15, Sam Chalfant, Curtis Leonard, and Sarah Mack led an employee discipline workshop at the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) Annual Conference in Seattle.

The AASPA is a national organization whose membership includes personnel and human resources administrators, superintendents, principals, and others working in educational administration.

Curtis, Sam, and Sarah’s presentation, “Navigating Employee Discipline: Legal Considerations in a Complex Landscape,” covered different facets of managing employee behavior while mitigating legal risk, including collective bargaining, free speech, and disability.

For questions regarding special education or employee discipline matters, or for more information about Pacifica’s comprehensive school law practice, please reach out to any member of our School Districts team.