Year: 2021

Earlier this year, the Biden Administration rescinded a Trump-era regulatory initiative that would have modified the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) criteria for evaluating whether an employer should classify an individual as an independent contractor or an employee.  The Trump Administration’s regulation was published January 7, 2021, and scheduled to take effect March 8, 2021….

Does your business or public entity have outstanding balances due and owing from clients, customers, or families that need to be collected?  Before embarking on the debt collection journey, it is important to have a general understanding of the process that a creditor must take to collect upon a debt and the laws that apply…

With the calendar turning to August, school districts across Wisconsin are gearing up for another school year impacted by COVID-19.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) caused a stir at the end of July when it issued new guidance recommending that students return to fully in-person learning this Fall and that all students, staff, and…

On July 27, 2021, the United States Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) begins the 2020 EEO-5 data collection via the EEO-5 Online Filing System at https://EEOCdata.org/eeo5. Pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), all public elementary and secondary school districts with one-hundred (100) or more employees (Eligible School Districts),…

On July 8, 2021, Governor Evers announced line-item vetoes and signed the 2021-23 Wisconsin State Biennial Budget Bill, which allocates taxpayer dollars for the next two fiscal years.  This Budget Bill includes a $2 billion income tax cut, reduces property taxes, lifts the UW System’s tuition freeze, restores two-thirds funding for schools, and authorizes infrastructure…

A student is struggling as to when, with whom and to what extent to share the student’s gender identity.  The student finally discloses this information to a staff member, requests that the staff member and others refer to the student by a different name and/or pronouns, but requests that this information not be shared with…

On June 23, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L, No. 20-255, which serves as a warning to public school districts about disciplining students for online and off-campus speech. The facts of this case are no surprise to school district officials across the country, who have been…

If an individual or entity will be purchasing or selling real estate, it is important to review the condition of the title. In real estate transactions, it is common for the seller to provide an owner’s policy of title insurance covering the proposed buyer. In addition, if the transaction involves financing, the buyer must typically…

Virtually every sector of the U.S. economy is currently struggling with a lack of qualified and willing individuals to fill vacant employment positions. Education is no exception to this reality. Wisconsin school districts report high levels of available positions in teaching and administration, while college and university education programs report low enrollment. As a result,…

Two identical bills have been introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate that would drastically affect transgender students’ participation in sports. 2021 AB 196 and 2021 SB 322 would amend provisions of Wis. Stat. §118.13(1), to create exceptions to the pupil discrimination statute.  The bills would also create Wis. Stat. §118.132 to identify the requirements…