My Brother’s Keeper: Violence and School Liability

Violence has become a major issue for employers, and regrettably schools have not been immune to this development. As the incidents of school violence have increased, so have the opportunities for litigation. This article discusses the most recent court cases arising from school violence concerns and provides recommendations for educators in the following areas: documenting student misbehaviors, especially violent incidents; providing clear behavioral rules for school and school-related activities and instructions about how to follow those rules; negligence; peer harassment; weapons at school; and foreseeability