On June 16, 2021, the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Notice of Interpretation [1] explaining that discrimination “on the basis of sex” under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) encompasses both sexual orientation and gender identity.

The 2021-2022 Education Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill (Trailer Bill) includes significant short-term and long-term changes to independent study. (See Ed. Code, § 51745, et seq.) For the 2021-2022 school year only, school districts and county offices of education (COE) will be required to offer an independent study program to meet the educational needs of pupils.

On July 1, 2021, Governor Newsom signed into law a three-part bill that creates new obligations for local educational agencies (LEAs) related to students served during the pandemic-impacted 2020-2021 school year.

On March 17, 2020, the Governor issued Executive Order N-29-20. This order allowed local agencies to address emergent pandemic conditions by allowing local officials, and the public, to participate in public meetings via virtual platforms. Ordinarily, board attendance via teleconference is regulated by certain provisions of California’s open meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act).

The past two weeks have seen a flurry of changing guidance regarding the use of face masks at workplaces and schools.

On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation known as the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act,” which amends Title 5 of the United States Code, Section 6103 (“Section 6103”), designating June 19 as a new “legal public holiday” to be known as Juneteenth National Independence Day.

SB 203 Extends and Expands Protections to Juveniles relating to Custodial InterrogationsSenate Bill (SB) 203, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in late 2020, amended Welfare and Institutions Code section 625.6, relating to custodial interrogations of minors.

As school districts and county offices of education prepare to update their parental annual notices (Annual Notice) for the upcoming school year, they should be aware of two mandatory changes to Annual Notices for 2021 concerning the transfer rights of bullying victims and Uniform Complaint Procedures, as well as new annual notification and posting requirements

On March 19, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 95 into law.