As with all crises, this pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation that is forcing schools to quickly implement new policies and practices, often operating on limited information and without the usual procedural safeguards and vetting. Such an environment creates a risk of the unintended consequences of those new policies\/procedures resulting in potentially discriminatory effects to students.<\/p>\n
Recognizing this risk, the Department of Education\u2019s Office for Civil Rights published\u00a0guidance<\/a>\u00a0on March 16, 2020, reminding schools that students\u2019 civil rights must be safeguarded during responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. OCR\u2019s guidance encourages schools to take measures to protect against COVID-19, but to do so in a manner that is free from discrimination and continues to accommodate people with disabilities.<\/p>\n To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert<\/em>, please visit the firm website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As with all crises, this pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation that is forcing schools to quickly implement new policies and practices, often operating on limited information and without the usual procedural safeguards and vetting. Such an environment creates a risk of the unintended consequences of those new policies\/procedures resulting in potentially discriminatory effects to … <\/p>\n