IRMO, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina school board member has filed libel lawsuits against two district residents connected to a Facebook group that has been critical of the member. The State of Columbia reports that Lexington-Richland 5 Vice Chair ...

Tagged with: Schools & School Boards

Even though the Richland Election Board found that appellant was a qualified voter and allowed her to remain on the ballot for a Richland County position on the District 5 Richland-Lexington School Board of Trustees, since there was some evidence ...

Tagged with: Schools & School Boards

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (AP) — Despite the threat of a lawsuit, the Berkeley County school board is moving to reinstate saying the Lord’s Prayer before its meetings. The Post and Courier of Charleston reports the school board gave initial approval ...

Tagged with: Schools & School Boards

Doe v. Herman (Lawyers Weekly No. 002-113-16, 15 pp.) (David Norton, J.) 2:15-cv-04757; D.S.C. Holding: Although it was defendant Herman, an assistant high school principal, who allegedly sexually assaulted the plaintiff-student, plaintiff has sufficiently alleged a state-created danger claim against ...

Tagged with: Schools & School Boards

Moss v. Spartanburg County School Dist. Seven (Lawyers Weekly No. 001-148-12, 21 pp.) (Niemeyer, J.) No. 11-1448, June 28, 2012; USDC at Spartanburg, Va. (Herlong, J.) 4th Cir. Holding: A high-school student and her parents lose their First Amendment Establishment ...

Tagged with: Constitutional Establishment Clause Schools & School Boards

Everett v. Pitt County Board of Ed. Parents’ groups that oppose a county school board’s 2011-2012 student assignment plan win their appeal in the 4th Circuit, which says the district court erred by failing to apply, and requiring the school board to rebut, a presumption that racial disparities in the assignment plan resulted from the school board’s prior unconstitutional operation of a racially segregated school district.

Tagged with: Burden of Proof Civil Rights Schools & School Boards

Levy v. Lexington County In 1994, the General Assembly changed elections for the Board of Trustees for School District Three from an annual February vote to a biennial vote at the time of the general election in November (an at-large election in which voters may cast multiple votes to fill multiple seats on the board).

Tagged with: Civil Rights Elections Schools & School Boards Voting Rights Act

Young v. Charleston County School District The record does not show that a three-member committee made the required report to the school board before the board accepted the committee’s recommendation not to renew the plaintiff-teacher’s contract. Moreover, the teacher was not given sufficient notice of the board’s meeting, so neither she nor her attorney was present at the meeting. The record does not reflect that the teacher’s due process rights were protected.

Tagged with: Constitutional Due Process Labor & Employment Public Employees Schools & School Boards

Murphy v. South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control In an environmental regulation, “vicinity” includes not just the section of a stream that will be filled, but also the surrounding area. We affirm the Administrative Law Court’s (ALC’s) decision to affirm a water quality certification (WQC) for a construction project to expand an overcrowded high school.

Tagged with: Administrative Environmental Real Property Schools & School Boards

Republic Franklin Ins. Co. v. Albemarle County School Board An Albemarle County school board’s failure to pay its school bus drivers and transportation assistants overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act was a “wrongful act” under the school board’s commercial insurance policy, and the policy does not cover wage payments but should cover liquidated damages and attorney’s fees, the 4th Circuit says.

Tagged with: Commercial Insurance Labor & Employment Schools & School Boards