Peter T. Zawadski

Overview

Learn about Peter

Peter T. Zawadski is a partner who works in Walter Haverfield’s Education Law and Labor and Employment practice areas. He assists employers and school district clients in resolving legal issues covering labor and employment matters, real estate property valuation, contract negotiations and disputes, employee and student due process challenges, policy drafting, and public records compliance. Legal services related to school administration and education programs frequently arise in Peter’s representation of public school boards of education. Peter’s practice is diverse and includes legal advice on matters involving discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, free speech, religious expression, sovereign immunity, Title VII, Title IX, discipline, defamation, social media concerns, and related investigations. Peter also works on cases involving the defense of employers in state and federal court and before administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, county boards of revision, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the Office for Civil Rights, the State Employment Relations Board, the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Before pursuing a career in law, Peter served as a social worker.

FOCUS AREAS

EDUCATION

Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D.
- With honors
- Managing Editor, Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine
Carleton College, B.A.
- Cum laude

LICENSED TO PRACTICE

Ohio
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION – LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

Advises boards of education in making decisions related to personnel adjustments and reductions in force.
Represents boards of education before the State Employment Relations Board when charged with alleged unfair labor practices.
Represents school districts in proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Ohio Civil Rights Commission with respect to claims of race, sex, age and disability discrimination.
Represents school districts in federal court involving claims alleging violations of the First Amendment’s free speech protections and discrimination based on race, sex, age and disability discrimination.
Represents school districts in employee termination and discipline proceedings, including advocating on behalf of clients at arbitration.
Counsels clients regarding compliance with the ADA, FMLA, FLSA, ADEA and other employment laws.

STUDENT ISSUES

Counsels school districts regarding obligations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Represents school districts during investigations and mediations conducted by the Office for Civil Rights.
Represents school districts in federal court litigation involving alleged violations of constitutional rights and Section 1983 (e.g., bullying, harassment, etc.).
Counsels school districts regarding due process rights and procedural safeguards in discipline situations.
Counsels school districts regarding residency and custody disputes.

SUNSHINE LAW & PUBLIC RECORDS

Counsels school districts faced with voluminous public record requests and responded to same on behalf of clients.
Counsels school districts on various aspects of compliance with Ohio’s Open Meetings Act.
Counsels school districts on compliance with Ohio’s Public Records Act, including the impact of new technologies on public records.

EDUCATION – GENERAL COUNSEL

Advises school districts of obligations under Ohio’s competitive bidding laws.
Assists school districts with policy review and development.
Counsels school districts in developing policies for compliance with the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System.
Reviews vendor and employment contracts on behalf of school districts.
Represents school districts in court when sued for alleged breach of contract claims.
Represents boards of education before county boards of revision and the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals to maintain the tax base of the school districts.

PRIVATE SECTOR LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW EXPERIENCE

Procured dismissal of unfair labor practice charges brought by a private sector employee when he was dismissed from employment.
Prevailed at arbitration when a former employee challenged the employer’s decision to terminate the employee for poor performance.

ASSOCIATIONS

Member, Ohio School Boards Association’s Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys
Member, Ohio State Bar Association
Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

PRESENTATIONS

Peter presents to employers, management groups, organizations, individual school districts, and educational service centers about all facets of employment and education law, including customized client requests, on the following topics/subjects:

Social Media and Apps, Cyberbullying, Privacy and Other Technology Issues
Investigating Misconduct
Vendor Contracts
Avoiding and Addressing Harassment Allegations
Employer-Employee Rights
Compliance Training
Administrative Team Trainings
Legislative and Case Law Updates
Students’ Rights
Title IX
School Athletics
Managing Boosters and Outside Groups
Personalized Learning

Articles

FEATURING & RECOGNIZING Peter

April 21, 2022

Commercial Property Owners Get Relief at the Expense of School Districts

August 30, 2021

W|H Attorney Peter Zawadski Gives Guidance on Masks in Ohio's School Districts

May 4, 2021

School Districts Can Get Tax Relief for Certain Paid Leave Expenses

March 2, 2021

Property Tax Disputes Are Expected to Proliferate

April 22, 2021

The Ohio “SAVE Students Act” Calls for More Student Safety Initiatives

February 18, 2021

CDC Urges Schools to Open for In-Person Learning Safely and Soon

June 19, 2020

Contact Practices for Sports and Non-Contact Competitions Can Start – Are You Ready?

June 1, 2020

Questions Arise with the Reopening of Ohio Sports and Training Facilities

May 1, 2020

Walter | Haverfield Elects Four New Partners

April 9, 2020

ODE Clarifies Teacher Evaluation Questions, But Complicated Decisions Remain

March 11, 2020

Reminder: The March 31st Deadline for Filing Property Tax Complaints Is Quickly Approaching

March 10, 2020

COVID-19: What Ohio Schools Need to Know and Do

October 18, 2019

Careful, Texts on Personal Cell Phones About Employees Can Be Public Records

May 15, 2019

Tip of the week: Keep these things in mind when drafting a school bus surveillance video policy