Sweet Stevens Nets Title IX Win for Local School District in Federal Court
News Release
New Britain, PA – Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams LLP recently secured a victory for the Central Bucks School District before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Attorney Kalani E. Linnell represented the district against allegations of improper conduct in a Title IX investigation.
The case stemmed from a series of incidents involving high school students on a school bus, where allegations of horseplay and potential sexual misconduct were raised. The situation began when a female student with an intellectual disability told a group of boys that she was dating one of them and claimed to be pregnant with his child. When she attempted to kiss him, he pushed her away, and she struck him between the legs. One of the students in the group subsequently reported the incident to a teacher.
In response, the school administration launched an investigation and initiated a Title IX proceeding. The investigation identified multiple parties, including a student referred to as L.O., who was initially considered a witness but later included as a participant. Video footage showed L.O. recording an incident, talking about it and sharing it with another student. L.O.'s parents filed a lawsuit against the district, alleging due process violations and claiming the investigation was “unlawful and untruthful.”
The court denied the parents’ motion for a preliminary injunction, affirming that L.O. received protections provided by Title IX rules and that the grievance process, while not flawless, was fair. The court further established that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate irreparable harm and that consolidating multiple parties’ actions into a single investigation is permissible when they arise from the same facts and circumstances.
Linnell advises clients in matters involving special education, student civil rights, and operations/practices. She is especially dedicated to the issue of Title IX compliance and leads Sweet Stevens’ Title IX training program for school districts. In 2020, she was invited to join a select group of attorneys providing guidance on the rules to the State University of New York. She also advised the Pennsylvania School Board Association on model policies relating to Title IX, and she has delivered a number of live presentations on the subject.
Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams, LLP was formed in 1995 by nine experienced education lawyers who created the first private law practice in Pennsylvania dedicated entirely to Education Law. Since then, the firm has grown to 26 attorneys who represent over 290 school and municipal entities as Solicitors or as Special Counsel in more than 50 counties throughout Pennsylvania, and in additional practice areas, such as Construction Law, Tax Assessment Appeals, Audit of Operations and Practices, Real Estate Law and Oil, Gas and Mineral Law.