For this webinar series, participants will automatically be enrolled in all 5 sessions.

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Speaker

Michael J. Joyce, Esq., Nuttall, MacAvoy & Joyce, P.C.

Description

This webinar series, presented by Attorney Michael Joyce, will provide five (5) trainings on the most pressing legal topics facing educators today, including disciplinary due process, bullying and civil rights, special education legal update, student records and Title IX. This series is a must for any educational professional seeking to remain current and in compliance with the laws impacting school professionals today.

To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must attend all 5 sessions and successfully pass a quiz following Session 5. Following the live webinar, registrants will be emailed a link to view the recorded webinar. The recording will be made available for 7 days after each session.

This session covers the new Title IX legal requirements in effect as of August 1, 2024. The presentation provides a comprehensive review in responding to reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault in schools under Title IX of Education Amendments of 1972. Attorney Joyce will focus on the legal and procedural requirements related to Title IX investigation and the most important steps, methods, and best practices necessary to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation process is employed.

Attorney Michael J. Joyce will provide a legal update regarding applicable federal and state law, including a review of recent BSEA decisions to inform planning and building effective programs within schools. This session will provide a comprehensive review of recent changes to state and federal law, including lessons learned from the implementation of the new IEP and those changes impacting special educators and special education practice.  

This session provides an overview of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”), focusing on an overview of the student’s rights, the school district’s obligations under Section 504, and the key differences between Section 504 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”). This session will provide participants with a comprehensive working knowledge of the referral, identification, evaluation and implementation processes under Section 504. This session will also address issues related to the proper standard and procedures for determining eligibility of students under Section 504 and the development of appropriate accommodations for those students.

This session will provide an overview of state and federal laws prohibiting bullying and discrimination in educational settings including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and state laws that protect individuals from discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion. This session’s primary focus will be to define not only the legal obligations and school district liability under state and federal law, but the best pragmatic approaches to conducting a thorough, reliable, and comprehensive investigation, and implementing remedial measures designed to eliminate the bullying and/or harassment.  Note that this session does not include Title IX, which was addressed in Session 1.

This session provides an overview of the disciplinary due process under Massachusetts state law, including M.G.L. c. 71, Sections 37H, 37H ½, and 37H ¾. Attorney Joyce will also provide a comprehensive review of the rights of students with disabilities in discipline, including both the substantive and procedural requirements related to manifestation determination reviews.

About the Speaker
Michael J. Joyce, Esq.

Michael J. Joyce (he/him) is a former public school teacher and currently an attorney with Nuttall, MacAvoy & Joyce, P.C. specializing in general education and special education law in public schools. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Joyce served as a Civil Rights Attorney for the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), conducting investigations and trainings throughout New England concerning a wide range of civil rights concerns arising in public schools, including the enforcement of Section 504 and the federal statutes pertaining to harassment and discrimination based on race, color, national origin, gender and age. Before working for OCR, Mr. Joyce served as prosecuting attorney in the Gang Unit of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, conducting dozens of trials and evidentiary hearings with a specialized focus on gun violence and firearms prosecution. Mr. Joyce also served as a law clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court. Prior to pursuing a legal career, Mr. Joyce taught for three years in public elementary schools as a member of Teach for America during which time he was nominated for Teacher of the Year. Mr. Joyce graduated from Boston College Law School and holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. From 2008-2011, Mr. Joyce taught legal research and writing at Northeastern School of Law, and, since 2011, he has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Lynch School of Education and Boston College Law School where he teaches a graduate level course on education law and policy. Mr. Joyce has conducted dozens of presentations on educational law, including presentations to local, regional and national audiences.

Membership Information

Most MPY webinars are available ONLY to current staff from member districts and organizations. Public school memberships include police and fire personnel. Former and retired employees and members of committees, including but not limited to, PTO/PTA, PAC, School Improvement Councils, Health Councils, Drug/Alcohol Councils, and school volunteers, are not considered MPY members.

PDPs and CEUs

MPY is an approved Professional Development Provider through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (Provider No. F20180079). Professional Development Points (PDPs) are offered for most MPY professional development webinars. PDPs are issued in 10 hour increments, per DESE requirements.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for clinical staff through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc. (MaMHCA). The NASW and the MaMHCA approve each event individually. CEUs may be given in hourly increments.

To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must pass the quiz.

Event Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to attend a MPY webinar you must cancel, through Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org, one business day before the webinar.

For MPY hybrid conferences, the date in-person registration closes will be posted on MPY’s website. Virtual conference registration will close one business day before the hybrid conference. You cannot cancel or switch your registration from in-person to virtual after in-person registration closes. Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org with any questions regarding registration.

  • Enrollment in this course closed on 10/17/2024.

If you are seeking to receive CEUs and/or PDPs, please click Register Now. Once you complete the webinar series, you will be able to take quizzes for CEUs and/or PDPs. Upon completion of each quiz, you will receive a certificate.

All sessions are 9:30 am – 11:30 am.

  • Session 1: October 17, 2024, Sexual Harassment and the Title IX Regulations: 2024 Updated Requirements Comprehensive Training for Title IX Coordinators, Administrators, and Relevant Personnel
  • Session 2: November 14, 2024, Legal Update: A Review of Recent Decisions and Changes to the Law Impacting Schools
  • Session 3: January 9, 2025, Section 504: Steps to Compliance
  • Session 4: February 6, 2025, Responding to and Preventing Bullying and Harassment
  • Session 5: April 10, 2025, Disciplinary Due Process, Navigating the Ins and Outs of Discipline and Manifestation Reviews