“Keep Me out of Court,” Said the Educator
Purpose: Faculty are often unaware of laws that govern an institution’s relationship with its students, as evidenced by recent and ongoing discussions on physical therapy education list serves. This may result in inadvertent violation of the law, improper understanding of legal advice, and struggles to properly identify the best course of action.
Description: This presentation will identify the laws most relevant to faculty and staff in physical therapy programs, including constitutional provisions; general tort laws; relevant non-discrimination laws, including Title VI and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Rehabilitation Act; and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”). Under the direction of the Deputy General Counsel and Director of Disability Support Services for a large University, best practices for averting potential legal pitfalls will be disseminated, relying on court cases and resolution agreements issued by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”).
Summary of Use: As most PT educators and administrators have no formal legal training, effort must be directed toward understanding relevant laws that impact educational operations and student training. Attendees will use the presented information to evaluate admission, matriculation, and dismissal practices within their individual academic institutions so to avert potential legal pitfalls.
Importance to Members: Physical therapist and physical therapist assistant educators will gain requisite knowledge to embark on meaningful conversations at their home institution to ensure best practice approaches are followed throughout all phases of the curriculum. The benefits of pro-actively collaborating with experts in other central administrative offices will be realized in light of the real or perceived threat of legal action by students.