Jonathan Pierce, Author at The Edu Law

Feb 10

Student Speech Rights On Social Media: When Schools Can Discipline

A group chat lights up at 11:30 p.m. Someone drops a screenshot of an Instagram story. By the first period, the post has reached a counselor’s inbox. By lunch, two students are arguing in the hallway about what it meant. For school leaders, social media is not an abstract concept. It shapes mornings, attendance, counseling […]

by Jonathan Pierce

Flow Chart of POCSO Act With Punishments (Complete Overview)

Feb 10

Criminal, Law

Flow Chart of POCSO Act With Punishments (Complete Overview)

The POCSO Act lays out a tightly structured legal process for reporting, investigating, and prosecuting sexual offences against children, and each step carries defined timelines, procedural duties, and punishments. The Act specifies clear categories of offences, mandatory reporting rules, special protections for child victims, and minimum sentencing guidelines that courts must follow. The Protection of […]

by Jonathan Pierce

State Recognition Under International Law Explained

Feb 9

Other

State Recognition Under International Law Explained

A state is recognized under international law only when other states decide to acknowledge its legal personality, even if it already satisfies the classic factual criteria of statehood. Recognition is therefore not what creates a state but what determines its capacity to participate fully in the international system: joining treaties, establishing diplomatic relations, accessing courts, […]

by Jonathan Pierce

IEP vs 504 Plan Legal Differences – Eligibility, Protections, Enforcement

Feb 4

Education, Law

IEP vs 504 Plan Legal Differences – Eligibility, Protections, Enforcement

An IEP and a 504 Plan are not interchangeable documents. An Individualized Education Program is a legally binding special education plan governed by federal special education law and designed for students whose disabilities require specialized instruction. A 504 Plan is a civil rights accommodation plan governed by disability discrimination law and designed for students who […]

by Jonathan Pierce

Student Records FERPA Explained – What Parents and Students Can Request

Feb 4

Education, Law

Student Records FERPA Explained – What Parents and Students Can Request

The direct answer is this: FERPA gives students and, in some cases, parents the legal right to access, review, and request corrections to education records held by schools, while also strictly limiting who else can see that information without consent. It does not give unlimited access to everything a school creates, and it does not […]

by Jonathan Pierce

Mandatory Reporting Laws for Teachers – Requirements and Penalties

Feb 3

Education, Law

Mandatory Reporting Laws for Teachers – Requirements and Penalties

The legal reality is straightforward: teachers are required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect when they have reasonable cause to believe it may be occurring, and failure to do so can result in criminal charges, civil liability, and serious professional consequences. Mandatory reporting is not a guideline, a recommendation, or something that […]

by Jonathan Pierce

Bullying and School Liability – When Schools Can Be Sued

Feb 2

Education, Law

Bullying and School Liability – When Schools Can Be Sued

Schools can be sued for bullying when they knew or reasonably should have known that bullying was occurring and failed to take appropriate action, or when their own policies, staff actions, or omissions contributed to foreseeable harm. Liability most often arises when bullying leads to physical injury, severe psychological harm, discrimination under federal civil rights […]

by Jonathan Pierce

Clean Water Act Permits Explained – NPDES Basics For Businesses And Homeowners

Jan 29

Law

Clean Water Act Permits Explained – NPDES Basics For Businesses And Homeowners

The Clean Water Act, enacted in 1972, focuses on restoring and maintaining the integrity of the United States waters by preventing pollution. The primary goal involves reducing harmful discharges and improving water quality across rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and coastal areas. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program plays a central role in controlling […]

by Jonathan Pierce

Defamation vs. Bad Reviews: What Counts, and What Usually Fails

Dec 31

Cases

Defamation vs. Bad Reviews: What Counts, and What Usually Fails

Most negative online reviews are legal and protected speech. Defamation only applies when a statement of fact about a person or business is false, presented as factual, harmful to reputation, and made without adequate factual basis. Opinions, subjective experiences, exaggeration, and harsh criticism almost always fail as defamation claims. Courts dismiss the majority of lawsuits […]

by Jonathan Pierce

California Penal Code 240 Elements: Intent, Present Ability, And Reasonable Fear

Dec 30

Criminal, Law

California Penal Code 240 Elements: Intent, Present Ability, And Reasonable Fear

California’s simple assault law sits in a strange place in public conversation. People hear the word “assault” and picture punches landing, faces bleeding, or someone already hurt. Penal Code 240 works earlier in the chain of events. It reaches a behavior that sets up immediate violence, even if no blow ever lands. Many arrests and […]

by Jonathan Pierce