Education Law

Episode 29 is now available for listening, sharing, and downloading at the link below!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone talks with his Bowles Rice colleague Kayla Cook about Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (commonly referred to as, simply, Title IX) and how it has evolved over the years.  

To listen to the episode, click on the link below. You can also save the link to your device of choice and listen at your convenience.

LINK → WVEduCast – Episode 29 (39:34)

To subscribe to the WVEduCast podcast, please follow this link.  We post a new episode every month ...

We are back with another episode of the WVEduCast! Episode 28 is now available for listening, sharing, and downloading at the link below.

In this episode, host Trey Morrone talks with Lisha Tignor, coordinator of school psychology and the division of student support and well-being at the West Virginia Department of Education ("WVDE"), about student threat assessment management and its application in guiding interventions at schools to help prevent school violence. 

To listen, simply click on the link below. You can also save the link to your device of choice and listen at your ...

As promised in last week's post, part two of our two very special bonus episodes of the WVEduCast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below. 

Please join us for two very special bonus episodes of the WVEduCast where we visit with Sharon Jo Cole, the 2024 West Virginia Teacher of the Year ("TOY") and Gary Brydie, the 2024 West Virginia School Service Personnel of the Year ("SPOY"). In part one, we heard from 2024 West Virginia Teacher of the Year, Sharon Jo Cole, a second grade teacher at Ceredo-Kenova Elementary and the first winner from Wayne County in West Virginia ...

It's a new month, and episode 27, part one is now available for listening, sharing, and downloading at the link below!

Please join us for two very special bonus episodes of the WVEduCast where we visit with Sharon Jo Cole, the 2024 West Virginia Teacher of the Year ("TOY") and Gary Brydie, the 2024 West Virginia School Service Personnel of the Year ("SPOY"). Although these episodes do not qualify for continuing education credit, we think you will enjoy getting to know these dedicated folks who do so much for school children in West Virginia.  We hope you’ll take a listen!

In part one of this ...

Episode 26 is now available for listening, sharing, and downloading at the link below!

In honor of 2024 being an election year, host Trey Morrone talks with Kimberly Weber, Executive Director of the West Virginia Ethics Commission, about the laws public officials and public employees have to follow for elections and political activities. 

To listen, simply click on the link below. You can also save the link to your device of choice and listen at your convenience.

LINK → WVEduCast – Episode 26 (24:18)

To subscribe to the WVEduCast podcast, please follow this link.  We ...

We are back with another episode of the WVEduCast! Episode 25 is now available for listening, sharing, and downloading at the link below.

In this episode, host Trey Morrone talks with Lindsey McIntosh, General Counsel of Kanawha County Board of Education, about county board of education policies. Specifically, the two discuss what county policies are, why they are important, how they are implemented in public schools, and much more. 

To listen, simply click on the link below. You can also save the link to your device of choice and listen at your convenience.

LINK → WVEduCast – ...

The latest episode of the WVEduCast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing, or downloading at the link below. This is episode 24 of our monthly education law podcast.

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Theresa Kirk, General Counsel of the West Virginia Ethics Commission, about the application of the code of conduct for administrative law judges and how it now applies to chief administrators at level one of the grievance process. 

To listen, simply click on the link below. You can also save the link to your device of choice and listen at your convenience.

Episode 23 of the WVEduCast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing or downloading at the link below!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Bernie Dolan, outgoing Executive Director of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC), and David Price, outgoing Superintendent of Raleigh County Schools and incoming Executive Director of the WVSSAC, about the HOPE Scholarship Transfer law (HB 2820) that went into effect June 9, 2023. The three discuss the changes of the bill and how it may impact sports and extracurricular activities ...

Episode 22 of the WVEduCast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing or downloading at the link below. 

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Dr. Tom Denne, member of the Mineral County Board of Education and retired school psychologist, about student risk assessments and the role they play in school safety. 

To listen, simply click on the link below. You can also save the link to your device of choice and listen at your convenience.

LINK → WVEduCast – Episode 22 (34:36)

To subscribe to the WVEduCast podcast, please follow this link.  We post a new ...

The latest episode of the WVEduCast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing, or downloading at the link below. This is episode 21 of our monthly education law podcast.

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Jason Butcher, Chief Administrator of the Southern Educational Services Cooperative, about West Virginia educational programs such as the past Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAS) and the establishment of the Educational Services Cooperatives (ESCS) and the services it offers to students, school districts and communities.  

To listen ...

Heading into the new year, we are excited to present episode 20 of the WVEduCast!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Tia Welch, Executive Director of the West Virginia Human Rights Commission, and Cameron McKinney, General Counsel of the West Virginia Human Rights Commission. They discuss the West Virginia Human Rights Act, which provides all citizens in the State of West Virginia equal opportunity for employment and public accommodations, and its role in the state's education system.

To listen to the episode, click on the link below. You can also save the link to your ...

The latest episode of the WVEduCast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing, or downloading at the link below. This is episode 19 of our monthly education law podcast.

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Dr. Shelby Haines, Superintendent of Marshall County Schools, on the issue of behavioral problems with students in the classroom. This is an issue that is seemingly on the rise across the country and greatly interferes with the teaching and learning process. Trey and Dr. Haines discuss the challenges behavior issues bring to the classroom, the possible ...

It's a new month, so that means we are back with a new episode of the WVEduCast! You can listen to the episode using the link below, or download to the device of your choice and listen at your convenience. This is the 18th episode of our monthly education law podcast.

Since it is September, we thought we'd record a Back to School episode. WVEduCast host Trey Morrone welcomes two guests to the podcast this month: Amber Nichols, Eastwood Elementary Kindergarten Teacher and a 2023 West Virginia Teacher of the Year Finalist, and Leigh Anne Wilson, a fellow Bowles Rice Education Law team member and ...

After a month off, the WVEduCast is back! Our latest episode has been posted and is available for listening, sharing, and/or downloading via the link below. This is episode 17 of our monthly education law podcast.

In this latest episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Matthew Hicks, Director of Accountability at the West Virginia Department of Education, about school board efficiency. The two look at West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2322 – known as the West Virginia System of Support and Accountability – and pay special attention to Section 6 of the policy called County ...

The latest episode of the WVEduCast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing, or downloading at the link below. This is episode 16 of our monthly education law podcast.

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Donald "Deak" Kersey, General Counsel for the West Virginia Secretary of State, about special levy elections and how West Virginia House of Delegates Bill 4353 impacts county school districts and the process of conducting such special elections moving forward. It's a very timely and informative episode!

To listen, simply click on the link below. You can ...

Episode 15 of the WVEduCast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing or downloading at the link below. Thanks to our many loyal listeners and subscribers. We really enjoy creating this content for you and hope that you find it informative and helpful.

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Josh Cottle, a Bowles Rice colleague and fellow member of the firm's Education Law Practice Group who represents school boards in cases involving violations of the Open Governmental Proceedings Act and the Freedom of Information Act, and ...

Since April is tax season, it seemed appropriate that this month's episode of the WVEduCast focus on a tax-related issue.

In episode 14 of our education law podcast, host Trey Morrone welcomes two guests to the program: Roger Hunter, a Bowles Rice colleague who regularly counsels school boards on bond issues and re-financings, excess levies, and other public financing matters, and Sam Pauley, School Operations Officer with the West Virginia Department of Education, Office of School Operations and Finance. The topic of conversation: PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, agreements.

Episode 13 of the WVEducast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing or downloading at the link below. Thanks to our many loyal listeners and to all of our new subscribers.  We really enjoy creating this content and hope that you find it informative and helpful.

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Ellen Maxwell-Hoffman, a Bowles Rice colleague who focuses her practice in the areas of general corporate and commercial law, election law, and ethics. The two discuss a topic of great interest to boards of education: the annual financial ...

We were so excited and inspired by the wonderful feedback received from listeners, subscribers and guests alike regarding the K-12 edition of our WVEduCast Education Law Podcast that we have officially branched out to include an edition focused on higher education. Our first episode is available for listening, sharing or downloading below.

In this first episode of the WVEduCast Higher Education Edition, host Chelsea Brown talks to her Bowles Rice colleague Kayla Cook about Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (commonly referred to as, simply, Title IX). This year marks the ...

Episode 12 of the WVEduCast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing or downloading below. This is our first episode of 2022, and we are thrilled to present it to you. We have a lot of great topics and guests lined up for this year, so stay tuned!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone talks to his Bowles Rice colleague Tyler Mayhew about the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act and how it impacts schools, school administrators and employees, and students. Tyler's experience as a Labor & Employment attorney as well as the Human Resources Chair for Bowles ...

For the last episode of 2021, we have a special two-part edition of the WVEduCast. Both parts have been posted and are available below for listening, sharing or downloading. We are extremely grateful for all of our wonderful guests this year, as well as our growing list of listeners and subscribers.  Thank you all!

Our 11th episode, titled “Annual Evaluation of the County Superintendent’s Performance,” is a two-part podcast covering the county board of education’s annual evaluation of its superintendent. In the first episode, host Trey Morrone discusses with the ...

We've reached the double digits! Episode 10 of the WVEduCast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening, sharing or downloading below. The Bowles Rice Education Law Practice Group is grateful to all of our wonderful guests, listeners and subscribers. We look forward to growing this podcast in 2022.

In this month's episode, host Trey Morrone talks to colleague Mark D'Antoni, a fellow attorney at Bowles Rice who focuses his practice on commercial real estate, property sales and acquisitions, and related matters. The two discuss the relationship ...

Episode Nine of the WVEduCast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below. Thank you for downloading, sharing, listening and subscribing to the podcast!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Bernie Dolan, Executive Director of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC). The two discuss a topic that is an integral part of our schools systems in West Virginia: Extracurricular Activities.

To listen to the full episode, click on the link below. You can also save the link to your device and ...

Episode Eight of WVEduCast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below. We sincerely thank all of our listeners and all who have subscribed to the podcast!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with attorney Howard Seufer, Senior Member of the Bowles Rice Education Law Group. The two discuss a topic that is extremely common to school boards – meeting agendas and the appropriate protocols, policies and procedures critical to their success.

To listen to the full episode, click on the link below. You can also save the link to ...

Episode Seven of WVEduCast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below. Thank you to all of our listeners and to all who have subscribed to the podcast!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Theresa Kirk, General Counsel to the West Virginia Ethics Commission. The two discuss Code of Conduct for state employees – including those in the state's education system – and relevant details of the West Virginia Governmental Ethics Act.

To listen to the full episode, click on the link below. You can also save the link to your ...

Episode Six of WVEducast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below. Thanks, as always, to all of our listeners and to all who have subscribed to the podcast so far – the numbers keep going up!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with Dr. Deborah Akers, Superintendent to Mercer County Schools, on the evolution of education in West Virginia over the course of her nearly five decades of service.  The conversation also includes discussion of current and future challenges in the state's education system. 

To listen to the full ...

Episode Five of WVEducast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below. Thank you to all of our listeners and to all who have subscribed to the podcast so far – the numbers keep going up!

In this episode, host Trey Morrone speaks with attorney Sherrone Hornbuckle, General Counsel to Cabell County Schools, on the topic of filing an unemployment claim.  The conversation includes discussion of increased unemployment claims during the pandemic, clear definitions for both simple and gross misconduct, and the concept of reasonable ...

Episode Four of the WVEduCast is a very special bonus episode, featuring a roundtable discussion with Fred Albert, President of the American Federation of Teachers - West Virginia, Dr. Howard O'Cull, Executive Director of the West Virginia School Board Association, and Mike Wells, Vice President of the West Virginia Association of School Administrators and Pleasants County Superintendent. The three discuss the recently concluded regular session of the West Virginia Legislature and the many new pieces of legislation that specifically affect the members of their respective ...

Episode Three of WVEducast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below. Thank you to all of our listeners and to all who have subscribed to the podcast so far. As a reminder, we will post a new episode at the beginning of each month.

In episode three, host Trey Morrone has an in-depth conversation with Education Reporter Ryan Quinn of the Charleston Gazette-Mail. The two discuss the relationship between education and the media, with special attention to open meetings, "off the record" conversations, the process of pitching story ideas ...

The second episode of WVEduCast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below. Thanks to everyone who listened to parts one and two of our first episode and to all who have subscribed to the podcast so far.

In episode two, we hear from West Virginia State Senator Patricia Puertas Rucker (R - Jefferson, 16), who serves as Chair of the West Virginia Senate's Committee on Education and Co-Chair of the Interim Committee on Education Accountability.  Senator Rucker was first elected in 2017 and is the first Hispanic woman to represent the ...

As promised in last week's post, part two of our very first episode of WVEduCast – An Education Law Podcast has been posted and is available for listening or for download below.

Our inaugural episode is a special two-part series on the topic of local control.  In part one, we heard from Dr. Howard O'Cull, Executive Director of the West Virginia School Board Association, who provided perspective from the county level.

Part two features an engaging discussion from the state perspective with attorney Heather Hutchens, General Counsel for the West Virginia Department of Education

Welcome to WVEduCast – an Education Law podcast from your friends at Bowles Rice.  The first episode in our brand new podcast has been posted and is available for download below.

To properly kick-off this new endeavor, our first episode is actually part one of a two part series on the topic of local control. Because it is a hot topic, we are featuring two perspectives: one from the local, county level and one from the state level.

For the local take, Bowles Rice attorney and WVEduCast host Trey Morrone talks with Dr. Howard O'Cull, Executive Director of the West Virginia School Board ...