Overview

Lisa focuses her practice on special education law, school law, and labor and employment law. She provides general counsel to school districts in personnel and student matters, including discipline, records retention, FERPA, board policies, collective bargaining agreements, arbitration, residency and custody disputes, social media, Sunshine Laws, Constitutional rights, and discrimination concerns.  Lisa also counsels boards of education on laws related to the education of students with disabilities, and she routinely provides training for teachers and administrators on special education issues. In addition to counseling and training, Lisa provides preventative services to school districts: leading in-service sessions, reviewing IEPs and ETRs for legal compliance, attending IEP and ETR team meetings, representing boards of education in direct requests for mediation, and issuing guidance relating to systemic and programmatic matters. Lisa also handles all aspects of litigation related to student issues. She has represented boards of education in student matters before the Ohio Department of Education and U.S. Department of Education, and in state and federal court. Furthermore, she handles employment and general board litigation, and has represented boards of education in these matters before the EEOC, OCRC, and state and federal court.

Lisa is co-host of the Walter | Haverfield podcast, “Class Act: Updates in Education Law,” which covers legal topics relevant to school districts, board of education members, administrators, teachers and parents.

Lisa brings nearly a decade of experience into her legal career from her prior work as a school psychologist in Ohio and Arizona (both in public school districts and charter schools, and with student caseloads ranging from preschool through high school). She also has supplementary training related to autism, including ADOS administration and Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy.  Such background and knowledge allows Lisa to assist school districts with their special education challenges utilizing innovative and comprehensive legal services.

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Experience

EDUCATION GENERAL COUNSEL SERVICES

• Represents school districts involved in litigation filed in state and federal court.
• Advises school districts regarding legislative interpretation, implications, and updates.
• Advises school districts regarding numerous issues impacting school districts including liability waivers, arbitration, confidentiality, student travel, ethics, transgender students, food allergies, home school requirements, IAT/RTI guidelines.
• Advises and assists school districts with investigations, such as those related to bullying, harassment, Title IX, discrimination.
• Advises school districts regarding enrollment and residency issues, including representation in district of residency determination challenges before the Superintendent of Public Instruction and in court.
• Assists school districts with policy review, development, and application.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

• Counsels school districts regarding special education laws, regulations, and procedural compliance.
• Represents school districts before ODE, OCR in matters related to IDEA and Section 504 from initial administrative responses, investigations, interviews, pleadings, effective mediation resolutions and hearings.
• Resolves due process complaints and disputes through mediation in a cost-effective and expeditious manner.
• Completes special education process case assessments for school districts including compliance audits and review of documents for legal defensibility.
• Attends IEP and ETR meetings in contentious situations.
• Represents districts in situations involving development of IEPs, IDEA procedural compliance, FAPE, Child Find, Section 504, student discipline, residency and custody issues, among others.
• Reviews school district’s policies regarding special education and response to intervention and assists school district teams in developing compliant policies and procedures for Section 504/IDEA.

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT

• Counsels school districts regarding employee conduct, responsibilities, and contract issues.
• Represents school districts in procedural requirements for employee disciplinary matters.
• Counsels school districts regarding employment and personnel issues, including discrimination claims, discipline, FMLA, and ADA implications.
• Prepares memorandums of understanding and resolutions for school districts regarding bargaining unit agreement terms, employee issues, etc.

LITIGATION

• Manages school law matters, such as special education, bullying/harassment, restraint/seclusion, discrimination and Constitutional claims, at every stage of the litigation process.

SUNSHINE LAW/PUBLIC RECORDS

• Assists school districts with voluminous public records requests and responses, including compliance and appropriate denial of requests.
• Advises school districts on compliance with the Ohio Public Records Act.

STUDENT ISSUES

• Advises school districts regarding legal and policy compliance related to student conduct and discipline, including representation during disciplinary proceedings.
• Represents school districts in discrimination complaints filed with the Office of Civil Rights.
• Counsels school districts regarding implications and applications of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and student privacy concerns.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

• Assists school districts with interpretation, application, and administration of collective bargaining agreements.
• Develops collective bargaining agreement provisions for school districts.
• Responded on behalf of school districts to unfair labor charges filed with the State Employment Relations Board.

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT (general- not education law specific)

• Counsels clients regarding employee conduct, responsibilities, and contract issues.
• Counsels clients regarding employment and personnel issues, including discrimination claims, discipline, FMLA, and ADA implications.
• Responds to public agency requests regarding employer separation information.
• Reviews and analyzes employer requirements to use state programs such as the Ohio Rapback System.
• Represents clients in discrimination proceedings before the EEOC, OCR, and OCRC.

Recognition

• Nearly Half of All Walter | Haverfield Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers®
• Nearly Half of All Walter | Haverfield Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in Best Lawyers®

Articles

• New Ohio Law Addresses Substitute Teacher Employment and Modifies Dyslexia Requirements
• Proposed Title IX Changes Impacting Schools Released
• Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook Approved: School District Dyslexia Obligations Near
• New Ohio Law Allows for Standardized Testing and Graduation Requirement Flexibility
• School Districts Face Significant Dyslexia Requirements Under House Bill 436
• Ohio Must Allow Changes on Birth Certificates for Transgender People
• Amended House Bill 404: Open Meetings, Local CARES Act Redistribution, License Deadlines and More
• Ohio Legislature Passes Bill Extending Qualified Civil Immunity for COVID-Related Claims
• Ohio H.B. 164 Provides School Districts Some Relief from Anticipated 2020-2021 Third Grade Reading Guarantee Impact
• Sexual Harassment and Discrimination in Schools: New Title IX Regulations Issued by U.S. Department of Education
• Ohio’s “Stay At Home” Order and Its Impact on Schools
• Students with Disabilities and Team Considerations During the COVID-19 Crisis
• COVID-19 and ESEA School Assessment Obligations
• Ohio School Truancy: Excessive Absences No Longer Include Medically Excused Absences
• Potential Consequences for Alternate Assessment Noncompliance
• First FDA-Approved Cannabidiol Medication Creates Confusion for School Districts
• New Ohio Law Changes Student Discipline Procedures and School Resource Officer Requirements
• Trump Administration Withdraws Transgender Guidance
• Transgender Student Case Makes Its Way To The United States Supreme Court

Presentations

Lisa routinely provides training for administrators and staff regarding legal updates, general education, and special education issues. Representative topics include:

• Dyslexia Obligations
• Covid-19 Response, Nuances, Reopening Issues, and Future Planning
• Special Education: Compliance, Conducting Defensible Evaluations, Developing IEPs, Data Collection, Writing Strong Prior Written Notices
• Section 504 Compliance And Nuances
• General Education and Special Education Student Discipline, including Manifestation Determinations
• Student Accommodations: Disabilities, Religion, Discrimination, Retaliation
• Title IX: Regulations, Compliance, Conducting Investigations
• Custody and Residency Issues
• FERPA Compliance
• Medical Marijuana and Schools
• Educator Reporting Obligations – ODE Licensure, Children Services
• Student Handbooks
• General Education and Special Education Case Law Updates

Associations

• Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
• Member, Ohio State Bar Association
• Member, Ohio School Boards Association’s Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys
• Member, National Council of School Attorneys
• Member, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Alumni Association

Podcasts

 

View the latest episodes of  Class Act: Updates in Education Law