In C.G. v. East Orange BOE, the district dropped a female student who had been bullied from enrollment, owing to her poor attendance. Attorney Giles prevailed and the State Board of Education ruled that the district's action violated her State constitutional right to a thorough and efficient education.
In S.R.R. v. Roselle BOE, Attorney Giles prevailed in a challenge of the permanent expulsion of a bullied student under a zero-tolerance policy. The Administrative Law Judge and Commissioner of Education rejected the district's zero tolerance approach, and ordered that the student be reinstated and awarded compensatory education.
Research shows that bullying can negatively impact a child’s access to education. It can lead to school avoidance and higher rates of absenteeism, lower grades; difficulty concentrating, loss of interest in school, and increased drop out rates. Since 2009, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has received more than 2,000 complaints stemming from issues at public schools across the country. School districts have a legal…