In a recent opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit spelled out what an employee must prove to establish whistleblower retaliation under the federal grant and whistleblower statute.

Starting January 1, 2027, employees of school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, educational joint powers authorities, and community college districts (CCD) will have access to fully paid pregnancy disability leave for up to 14 weeks in addition to existing leaves for related purposes.

The 2026 Education Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill, also known as Assembly Bill (AB) 126, includes revisions to California’s independent study statutes, effective July 9, 2026.  These changes include new pupil work product documentation requirements and revised options for calculating student-to-teacher staffing ratios for school districts, county offices of education (COEs), and charter sc

Schools cannot be sued for emotional distress under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but they may still face financial liability.

Based upon what appears to be an expanded view of the Supreme Court’s opinion in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) has issued a new Guidance on Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Schools (2026 Guidance).

California State University (CSU) prevailed in part against the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) on a negotiability issue under the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA) related to changes in CSU’s student vaccination requirements.

In its recent decision in Thompson v. Central Valley School District No. 365 (9th Cir. 2025) 163 F.4th 654, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a U.S. District Court ruling that Central Valley School District (CVSD) had demonstrated that a former middle school assistant principal’s speech would reasonably cause disruption in the workplace and undermine CVSD’s interest in cre

Senate Bill (SB) 848, signed into law on October 7, 2025, and effective January 1, 2026, is a sweeping piece of legislation intended to enhance student safety by: (1) extending Assembly Bill (AB) 2534’s school employee misconduct disclosure requirements; (2) requiring written policies clarifying professional boundaries; (3) strengthening comprehensive school safety plans; (4) expanding...

Three recently enacted laws will significantly impact local agency employees and local government operations.