News
Partner with Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane Named President of the Massachusetts Council of School Attorneys (COSA) for a Second Term
Kevin Bresnahan, a partner with Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, was named President of the Massachusetts Council of School Attorneys (COSA) for a second one-year term during their annual meeting, held virtually, in December 2020. Normally, the presidency is only for one year, however, due to COVID-19, the officers have decided to officially extend the presidency for another year. Mr. Bresnahan was first named President of COSA at a December 6th, 2019 meeting.
The COSA officers are made up of an executive committee comprised of president, president-elect, two members at large, a past president, and ex officio. COSA was formed in 1997 to provide information and practical assistance to attorneys who represent public school districts, COSA with the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Council of School Attorneys is a membership organization of more than 40 affiliate state councils and more than 3000 attorneys nationwide who work to improve the practice of school law and prevent lawsuits against public schools.
Mr. Bresnahan practices in the areas of labor and employment, education, and municipal law. He advises public employers in various aspects of employment law, including: compliance with federal and state discrimination statutes, the Family and Medical Leave Act; the Fair Labor Standards Act; and Chapter 32B of the Massachusetts General Laws, the public insurance law statute. Among his notable experience, Mr. Bresnahan worked on the successful resolution of a strike by a teachers’ union, including filing a strike petition with the former Labor Relations Commission and working closely with the labor commissioners to craft and obtain a preliminary injunction and contempt order in Superior Court.
Mr. Bresnahan graduated from Boston College in 2001 with a double major in marketing and history. He received his law degree in 2005, with honors, from The George Washington University Law School. While in law school, Mr. Bresnahan was a member of The George Washington International Law Review, and was a Dean’s Fellow in the Legal Research and Writing program, where he taught research, writing, and oral advocacy techniques to first-year law students.
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP is known throughout New England for its labor and employment practice. In addition the firm has an extensive education law practice representing more than one hundred and fifty public, private and nonprofit educational institutions through the collegiate level.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ISSUES REVISED TITLE IX REGULATIONS
On April 19, 2024, the United States Department of Education (“DOE”) issued final regulations for Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”). Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. The new regulations go into effect on August 1, 2024, so school districts are encouraged to review their policies and procedures and provide staff training on these new regulations as soon as possible. The final regulations continue to list specific elements that must be included in any policy, such as range of disciplinary actions, standards of evidence, and procedures. The DOE has provided template policies here: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/resource-nondiscrimination-policies.pdf and Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane will be creating model policies and notice letters as well.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ISSUES REVISED TITLE IX REGULATIONS
On April 19, 2024, the United States Department of Education (“DOE”) issued final regulations for Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”). Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. The new regulations go into effect on August 1, 2024, so school districts are encouraged to review their policies and procedures and provide staff training on these new regulations as soon as possible. The final regulations continue to list specific elements that must be included in any policy, such as range of disciplinary actions, standards of evidence, and procedures. The DOE has provided template policies here: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/resource-nondiscrimination-policies.pdf and Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane will be creating model policies and notice letters as well.
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