It has been just over a year since Governor Patrick enacted the Massachusetts law on bullying, making Massachusetts the 42nd state to pass such a law. The law quickly became known as one of the strictest anti-bullying laws in … Read more »
The Schoolyard Lawyer: Summertime Bullies
Summer is sadly almost half way over and kids are off at summer camps throughout the state and country. It is important to remember that bullying can occur at camp just as easily as it can occur at school. If … Read more »
The Schoolyard Lawyer: The Bullying Law Protects Special Education Students
A recent Schoolyard Lawyer blog entry, Special Education Students and the Bullying Law, discussed how the Massachusetts bullying law provides additional protections to students with disabilities. The law defines bullying as:
“The repeated use by one or more students … Read more »
The Schoolyard Lawyer: Protecting Those Unfairly Labeled as a Bully
It has been just over a year since Governor Patrick signed the Massachusetts law on bullying into effect, and now that the 2010-11 school year is coming to an end, it is appropriate timing to discuss what I believe to … Read more »
What about the Puppies?
All too often, the family pet is not taken into consideration when estate planning is addressed. Now that the Massachusetts legislature has enacted a “Pet Trust” statute (Mass Gen Laws Chapter 203, Section 3C), it seems an appropriate … Read more »
Bullying: It’s Not Just a Schoolyard Problem (2)
This is the second post in a three part series on bullying in the workplace.
As you may recall, the previous post on workplace bullying provided a description of workplace bullying, gave some startling statistics regarding its frequency, and outlined … Read more »
The Schoolyard Lawyer: What is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying, as defined in the Massachusetts Anti-Bullying Law, is “bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication.” The law sets forth many different means of cyberbullying, but the most common uses are via text messages, emails, phone calls, … Read more »
The Schoolyard Lawyer: Understanding the IDEA: For Parents Starting the Special Education Process
The laws governing Special Education can be confusing for parents who are just beginning the process with their child. All too often parents do not even know where to begin. I wrote this article in the format of commonly asked … Read more »
The Schoolyard Lawyer: What if my Child is Not Eligible for Special Education?
If your child has been found not eligible for Special Education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), he or she may still be eligible under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). Section 504 … Read more »
Bullying: It’s Not Just a Schoolyard Problem
Over the past couple of years, bullying in schools has received significant (and well deserved) attention; however, bullying is not limited solely to the schoolyard. Bullying in the workplace has increased steadily over the past decade, and researchers, legislatures and … Read more »