Identifying, Addressing, and Litigating Bullying in Schools

Mary C. DeCamp | Bennett & DeCamp, PLLC

Mary DeCamp has been practicing law for over fifteen years. Her practice focuses chiefly on the expansive areas of education law, special education law, and employment law. Although much of her practice involves civil litigation, she also devotes a notable amount of time to counseling and advising clients on best practices and legal issues arising out of many areas of the law, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Title IX, and various other federal, state, and local laws pertaining to employment law and education law.

I. Bullying Defined | 12:00pm – 12:15pm

II. Cyberbullying and Other Off-Campus Conduct | 12:15pm – 12:30pm

III. Relevant Federal and State Laws | 12:30pm – 12:45pm

• Title IX
• Title VI
• IDEA
• Section 504 and the ADA
• Section 1983
• State Anti-Bullying Laws

IV. Prevention, Intervention, Postvention | 12:45pm – 1:00pm

Break | 1:00pm – 1:10pm

V. School Policies, Training, and Addressing Claims of Bullying | 1:10pm – 1:20pm

VI. Best Practices for Investigations | 1:20pm – 1:30pm

• Interviews
• Documentation
• Communication

VII. Guidelines for Litigation | 1:30pm – 1:40pm

• Obtaining and Reviewing School Records
• Obtaining Evidence from Online and Digital Sources
• FERPA and Other Privacy Considerations
• Settlement and Trial Considerations