News
Webinar Presented by Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane Education Partners
On March 31, 2020, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, partners Mary Ellen Sowyrda and Alisia St. Florian held a well attended virtual meeting to review the current DESE guidance. MHTL’s virtual meeting took place following the March 26, 2020, virtual meeting with Russell Johnston, the Senior Associate Commissioner of the Center for District Support at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Johnston’s meeting issued guidance from the Commissioner of Education as well as FAQ’s.
Attorneys Sowyrda and St. Florian discussed the FAQ’s handed down from DESE along with their expert outlook on how schools can confront these issues going forward. Sowyrda and St. Florian also discussed documenting all communication sent to students and parents while schools are closed. Privacy/confidentiality issues were also addressed as communicating with parents during school closure will take place virtually or over the phone as a result of COVID-19. As stated by St. Florian; “the ability to engage with clients through the chat function resulted in a productive exchange of questions and answers. I look forward to scheduling more virtual meetings as new information and guidance is issued by DESE.”
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP has an extensive education law practice representing more than one hundred and eighty public, private and nonprofit educational institutions from pre-K through the college and university level.The firm is also known throughout New England for its labor and employment practice as well as its expansive municipal law practice.
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Partner Prevails in U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Attorney Felicia Vasudevan, a partner at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, received a favorable decision on behalf of her client, Marshfield Public Schools. The Plaintiff appealed the district court’s judgement that upheld a decision of the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals (“BSEA”). However, as the notice was filed more than 30 days after entry, the First Circuit ultimately dismissed the appeal for being untimely. The Plaintiff also appealed the district court’s order, denying her motion to vacate. Read More
New Features of Public Participation at School Committee Meetings
Following our Alert from March 16, 2023, Civility is Dead – The Supreme Court Rules Municipal Control of Public Speak Limited to Reasonable Time/Place/Manner Restrictions, which discussed the holding to the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in Barron v. Kolenda and the Town of Southborough (SJC-13284), we promised to bring you more detailed guidance on developing a Public Speak policy for your public body or municipality. The Barron case involved a constitutional challenge to the Town of Southborough’s public comment policy, which attempted to impose a code of civility on members of the public who participated in public comment before public bodies. In Barron, the court interpreted the state constitution to mean that public bodies may request, but not require, that public commentators be respectful and courteous. Instead, a public body may set restrictions on reasonable time, place, and manner comments to ensure that the meeting retains an orderly and peaceable manner.
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