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Judge: Greensburg Diocese will not receive bifurcated discovery, in gay former teacher's discrimination case
PITTSBURGH – The Diocese of Greensburg has lost out on its attempt to bifurcate the discovery process, in a lawsuit spurred by its decision to fire a sixth-grade teacher from Aquinas Academy after learning of his same-sex marriage – where it argued that to employ him would be contrary to Catholic values and an infringement upon its rights to religious freedom under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Schools
Private school wants dismissal of suit brought by student alleging unfair expulsion process
PHILADELPHIA – Litigation brought by a private school student from New Jersey – who claimed that he was unfairly expelled for his participation in an on-campus prank due to his disability – should be dismissed, say school authorities, for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be granted.
Schools
Greensburg Diocese says employing teacher in same-sex marriage would contradict Catholic doctrine
PITTSBURGH – The Diocese of Greensburg stands by its decision to fire a sixth-grade teacher from Aquinas Academy after learning of his same-sex marriage, arguing that to do otherwise would be contrary to Catholic values and an infringement upon its rights to religious freedom under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Schools
Pennsylvania Institute of Technology wants deposition from woman allegedly injured on its own property
MEDIA – Counsel for the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology is seeking to compel deposition testimony from a woman who claimed she was seriously injured in a fall at a home the Institute owned, one year ago.
Schools
Penn State motions for summary judgment, in suit from steward who alleged rape by her supervisor
WILLIAMSPORT – Penn State University has motioned for summary judgment in a sexual harassment and retaliation action brought by a steward at the institution, who claimed she was raped by her direct supervisor.
Schools
Settlement reached for Black special education professional in discrimination case against Delco school district
PHILADELPHIA – A Black special education professional who claimed a Delaware County school discriminated against her and demoted her from a new role she applied for, simply because her white predecessor opted to re-apply for the role after initially stepping aside, has settled her claims.
Schools
Educator alleging sexual assault from transfer student drops case for the moment
PITTSBURGH – An educator who was allegedly sexually assaulted by one of her students and argued that the student’s former school did not advise her of his capacity for committing acts of violence and assault, has dropped her case for now.
Schools
Parents of first-graders in Mount Lebanon get go-ahead to sue over transgender lessons
PITTSBURGH – A federal judge has upheld her prior ruling that a trio of parents would be able to pursue their lawsuit against the Mount Lebanon School District, one which alleged their civil rights were violated when the district provided classroom instruction to their first-grade children on the topics of gender dysphoria and transgender transitioning.
Schools
Mars Area School District settles claims it allegedly hindered employment opportunity of former secretary
PITTSBURGH – The Mars Area School District has settled claims that it allegedly made a false statement about one of its former employees, which the plaintiff had said later prevented him from being hired by the Internal Revenue Service.
Schools
Owen J. Roberts School District officials settle claims they allegedly failed to protect student from molestation
ALLENTOWN – Authorities in the Owen J. Roberts School District have settled claims that they failed to protect a Chester Springs woman from being molested by her philosophy teacher when she was a high school student in 2020.
Schools
Belle Vernon Area School District cites statutory exception in suit over its failed bus canopy
PITTSBURGH – A Western Pennsylvania school district seeking compensation from the construction firm who built an entrance bus canopy at one of its elementary schools, which failed after nearly 15 years of use, says its case is an exception to a 12-year statute of repose which would otherwise bar its claims.
Schools
Chester charter school wants counts removed from case of kindergartener's alleged sexual assaults
PHILADELPHIA – A charter school in Chester is seeking dismissal with prejudice of civil rights claims in a lawsuit that alleges it failed to prevent the repeated sexual assaults of one of its kindergarten students, by their classmate.
Schools
Reading School District looking to throw out claims and punitive damages from pastor's suit
ALLENTOWN – Reading School District is vying for civil rights violation claims and punitive damages to be dismissed from litigation brought by a Christian pastor against itself, two local police officers and the City of Reading, after the pastor claimed his rights were violated through his being arrested during a demonstration held just outside Reading Senior High School this past January.
Schools
Court won't dismiss lawsuit of Catholic schoolteacher allegedly fired for being gay
PITTSBURGH – A federal court has partially adopted a magistrate judge’s recommendation that it not approve the Diocese of Greensburg’s attempt to dismiss litigation from a sixth-grade teacher, allegedly fired from Aquinas Academy once his employer learned of his same-sex marriage.
Schools
Construction company says 12-year statute of repose should bar Belle Vernon school district's suit
PITTSBURGH – An Ohio company contends that the Belle Vernon Area School District cannot sue it over the failure of the bus canopy it built for the District back in 2005, since Pennsylvania has only a 12-year statute of repose when it comes to construction projects.
Schools
Teacher who objected to Philadelphia's pronoun policy fired for cause, school district says
PHILADELPHIA – The School District of Philadelphia argues it was correct to fire a former middle school teacher, not because he objected to a gender identity-centered student policy, but because he allegedly failed to comply with District policies and procedures.
Schools
The Devil comes to school: Judge says Saucon Valley must give Satanic Temple club a place to meet
ALLENTOWN – A federal judge has decreed that a Northampton County school district must allow a Massachusetts-based satanic religious group to convene an After School Satan Club at a local middle school.
Schools
Defense counsel seeking dismissal of sex abuse class action against The Summit Academy
PHILADELPHIA – Counsel for The Summit Academy say a class action, sexual abuse lawsuit brought by seven of its former residents should be dismissed in its entirety, by arguing the action fails to state claims upon which relief could be granted and is not contained in the proper venue, among other objections.
Schools
Pittsburgh School District denies wrongdoing, as Trump-supporting teacher claims wrongful termination
PITTSBURGH – Defendants have uniformly denied allegations in litigation from a former veteran schoolteacher against the Pittsburgh School District and its Board of Education, which charged she was wrongfully terminated after she posted a right-wing article accompanied by allegedly racist language on her personal Facebook page.
Schools
Busing company now pursues breach of contract suit against McKeesport and borough officials in federal court
PITTSBURGH – A school bus transportation company who filed suit against the City of McKeesport, the McKeesport Area School District and several District and political officials, alleging that the defendants conspired and acted to remove it from an agreement to provide the District with busing as an act of political retaliation, and discontinued their case in state court, is now pursuing that case in federal court.