Blog Posts by Andra J. Hutchins

A middle school student’s refusal to hand over his cellphone triggered a response by a paraprofessional that has the school district facing claims for negligence and civil rights violations in U.S. District Court in Springfield. According to the plaintiff’s co …

A homeowner suing over the alleged unconstitutional taking of her home in New Bedford for unpaid taxes was not bound by her prior acceptance of a $65,000 settlement because defense counsel subsequently insisted on confidentiality and non-disparagement provisio …

Andra Hutchins was quoted in “School bathroom closures statewide drive rising tensions, pushback” in The Boston Globe on June 26, 2022. The article discusses increasing restrictions on students’ access to bathrooms, as administrators keep more restrooms locked …

Andra Hutchins was quoted in “Without Her Consent,” which appeared in Inside Higher Ed on February 9, 2022. The article discusses the 65-page Title IX lawsuit filed by three female anthropology graduate students against Harvard University over the handling of …

All colleges and universities have codes of conduct that include some variation of an academic honor or integrity code. These policies codify the school’s definition of cheating and plagiarism – two areas where students can often find themselves in trouble. Pl …

KCL partner Andra Hutchins was quoted in “Education lawyers decipher U.S. Supreme Court cheerleader decision” in the July 5 issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Education law attorneys were hopeful that the Court’s decision in Mahanoy Area School District v. …

COVID-19 has upended life as we know it, but this fall, the focus of many will be on the education system – both public and private, secondary and higher education. Now that schools and colleges have reopened, and after a summer where secondary and college adm …

KCL partner Andra Hutchins recently settled a case for a student against a prominent Massachusetts college and was able to negotiate a significant settlement without filing suit against the school. About Attorney Andra Hutchins Andra J. Hutchins has over 20 ye …

Many parents are shocked to find out that the private high school they are paying a sizeable amount of tuition for has much more discretion in terms of disciplining their child than a public school. Most public high school handbooks are similar and include sta …

KCL attorney Andra Hutchins recently resolved two school discipline/student rights matters. Andra represented a student who attended school in a highly regarded public school district and convinced the school to overturn the student’s suspension because the sc …

The latest issue of KCL Insights includes recent news and blog posts: Parent’s Death Sparks Siblings’ Disputes Over Inheritance KCL Resolves Complicated Personal Injury Case Download the PDF version: KCL Insights August 9, 2018  

The latest issue of KCL Insights includes recent news and blog posts: Does Your Company Need an Employee Handbook? Andra Hutchins Volunteers with BBA Law Day in Boston Schools  

The goal of the Boston Bar Association’s Law Day in the Schools Program is to introduce Boston’s youth to the law and legal profession. KCL Partner Andra Hutchins was one of 130 BBA volunteers that visited with over 1650 Boston Public School students in Kinder …

Dear Clients and Friends, Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year! In case you missed it last year, here are some of KCL’s 2017 highlights. Notable KCL Wins Board of Medicine Reverses Itself, Grants Andrew Hyams’ Client a Full Medical License | Attorneys: …

The latest issue of KCL Insights includes recent news and blog posts: Constructive Eviction: A Tenant’s Rights to Break a Lease Navigating Sexual Assault Complaints on Campus

Private and public colleges, as well as the federal government, have offered their various views and opinions on how sexual assault cases on college campuses should be handled. Title IX is the federal law that dictates how such cases must be handled procedural …

KCL attorney Andra J. Hutchins successfully represented an employer in a lawsuit brought by a former employee. The former employee filed a lawsuit in Superior Court alleging breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of warranty, and violat …

The latest issue of KCL Insights includes recent news and blog posts: Maury Lederman Selected to Best Lawyers List Steven Coren Presenting at MCLE Family Law Trial Advocacy Workshop June 5-9, 2017 Civil Rights Act Protects Gay Workers from Discrimination Psych …

Board of Registration of Psychologists rules prohibit giving opinions Psychologists try to help their clients. Whether a client needs intense psychotherapy, advice, or just someone to talk to, a psychologist’s job is to listen to, and treat their clients. Agai …

The latest issue of KCL Insights includes recent client wins and blog posts. Andrew Hyams Testifies Against Proposed Board of Medicine Regulations – Andrew Hyams Former Employee Not Entitled to Unemployment Benefits in Massachusetts – Andra Hutchins Have Your …

KCL attorney Andra J. Hutchins recently prevailed on behalf of her client, an education consulting firm, in a case involving unemployment assistance. A former employee of the consulting firm applied for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts, though she was a …

The latest issue of KCL Insights includes blog posts by: Milton Kerstein and Andra Hutchins – Help! I Received a Subpoena for Patient Records Piercing the Corporate Veil – Concerns for the Small and Mid-Sized Business  

By attorneys Milton Kerstein and Andra Hutchins. It’s happened—you received a subpoena for patient records from an attorney representing your patient. This is the first in a two part series. The second part will address the circumstance where you receive a sub …

KCL Wins One of First Cases Under New Alimony Termination Law; I Wish I Had Known…….What Did I Sign?; And Recent Blog Posts The latest issue of KCL Insights includes: KCL Client is Entitled to Termination of His Alimony Obligation Under Alimony Reform Law …

The latest issue of KCL Insights includes: Milton Kerstein and Andra Hutchins new blog series, “Tips for Avoiding or Responding to Licensing Board Investigations”. The series provides practical advice for health care professionals including psychiatrists, psyc …

Tips for Avoiding or Responding to Licensing Board Investigations is a series of blog posts written by attorneys Milton Kerstein and Andra Hutchins. In this series we provide practical advice for health care professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists …

In this two-part blog series, I look at how different laws and statutes can help students and parents address bullying in school. Recent cases in Massachusetts and New York federal courts have addressed bullying in schools, and in both cases, the students over …

In two recent cases, federal courts in Massachusetts and New York have addressed bullying in schools, and in both cases, the students overcame legal arguments by their respective districts. The Massachusetts case involves a regular education student who was bu …

Due Process and Educational Services From schoolyard pranks to serious offenses, students facing disciplinary action in Massachusetts public and charter schools have a right to due process and educational services. New Procedures for Suspending or Expelling St …

A new issue of KCL Insights is now available. This issue includes articles on: Annual Reporting School Suspensions in Massachusetts Tax Deadlines Mandatory Arbitration Clauses Massachusetts Department of Revenue Voluntary Disclosure Program Attorney Spotlight: …

A WBUR analysis of state data shows that 603 kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students were suspended from Massachusetts public and charter schools in the 2014-15 school year. Reasons for the suspensions included hitting, disrupting, disrespecting, throwing t …

Andra J. Hutchins has been appointed Treasurer of the Board of the Friends of the Westwood Public Library. The Friends of the Westwood Library is a non-profit fundraising and outreach organization that plans programs of cultural interest and raises funds to su …

Andra J. Hutchins has joined the Board of the Friends of the Westwood Public Library. The Friends of the Westwood Library is a non-profit group that raises funds to supplement library expenditures that are not covered by the library’s operating budget, includi …

For those private homeowners who employ people to perform domestic or child care work in their homes, a new law has emerged regarding the rights of these workers. The new Domestic Worker’s law in Massachusetts – called the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights – too …

On September 26, 2011, Governor Patrick signed the long-awaited alimony bill into law, potentially ending many lifetime alimony awards across the state. The previous Massachusetts law required the court to consider a number of factors when determining alimony, …

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, is a Federal law that protects the privacy of students’ education records and access to those records, and applies to schools that receive federal financial assistance under the U.S. Department of Educat …

If your child is charged with possession of drugs on school premises or at a school sponsored event, preparation for the events that will follow is essential in protecting your child’s education.  State law specifically provides that a student may be expelled …