Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello Presented at MASPA Webinar Responding to COVID-19 Issues in Schools

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On April 17, 2020 Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello presented at the Massachusetts Association of School Personnel Administrator’s webinar, Responding to COVID-19 Issues in Schools. Topics discussed included: Families First Coronavirus Response Act, furloughs and layoffs, leaves of absence, transportation issues, school approved trips, educator misconduct and educator evaluations.

The presentation can be found here.

Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello to Present at 2020 Massachusetts Association of School Personnel Administrators (“MASPA”) Annual Law Day

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On March 20, 2020 Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello will present at the MASPA Annual Law Day at the Verve Hotel in Natick, MA.

Liz and Nick will be discussing the following topics: the Americans with Disabilities Act and reasonable accommodations including service and emotional support animals in the workplace; state ethics law and public school employees; and collective bargaining issues including strike threats and strike preparation.

Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello to Present at 2020 MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show

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On January 24, 2020 Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello will present at the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s Annual Meeting & Trade Show at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA.

Liz and Nick will be panelists on an MMA workshop panel entitled, “Social Media: Policies, Ethics and the Law Workshop.”

The MMA has described the panel as follows,

Many municipalities have adopted policies and standards for employees and officials participating on social media platforms, but how do policy makers respond to posts from the public that crosses the line of legitimate criticism? What can local officials do in response to unfounded personal attacks and accusations and to protect employees who become targets? What tools are available for addressing inappropriate content? This session will address these questions and more in an area that continues to be a vital part of any municipality’s communications strategy.

Be sure to stop by Room 201, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center on Friday, January 24th from 2:00 to 3:30 PM to see Liz and Nick.

Please see the following link to the MMA’s listing of all available workshops at the 2020 Meeting & Trade Show,

https://www.mma.org/mma-annual-meeting-and-trade-show/workshops/annual-meeting-workshops-friday-first-session/

Liz Valerio Receives Life Membership in the MASC

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Valerio Dominello and Hillman congratulates Liz Valerio who received Life Membership in the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) on November 8, 2019.  Liz was recognized for her involvement in and commitment to MASC, as well as her advocacy for the children of Massachusetts through her years of assistance to MASC and her membership on the Wrentham School Committee.

Liz is pictured here with MASC’s Executive Director Glenn Koocher.

Liz Valerio to Present at COSCAP Fall Conference

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On November 8, 2019 Liz Valerio will present at the Council of School Committee Administrative Personnel’s 2019 fall conference at the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis.  Liz will be presenting on personnel files and “everything you want to know about school committee meetings.”

Liz Valerio and Elizabeth Paris to Present at MMHR Annual Labor Relations Seminar

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On November 1, 2019 Liz Valerio and Elizabeth Paris will present at the Massachusetts Municipal Human Resources Association’s annual labor relations seminar at the Devens Common Center in Devens, MA. Liz and Elizabeth will be presenting on 2019’s major labor law cases.

Attorney Liz Valerio to Present at MMPA Boot Camp

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Attorney Liz Valerio will present at the Massachusetts Municipal Personnel Association (MMPA) Human Resources Boot Camp on May 16, 2019.  Liz will discuss trends in municipal/labor law.

Attorneys Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello to Present at Annual MASPA Law Day

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Attorneys Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello will present at the annual School Law Day conference of the Massachusetts Association of Personnel Administrators (MASPA) on March 1, 2019.  Liz and Nick will discuss public records requests and open meeting law complaints, educator and staff misconduct investigations and provide a brief update on issues associated with medical marijuana in schools.

Attorney Liz Valerio Discusses New Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

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Attorney Liz Valerio discussed the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) at the annual School Law Day conference of the Massachusetts Association of Personnel Administrators (MASPA) on March 23, 2018. Attorney Valerio discussed the requirements of the new law, employer obligations to accommodate workers under the PWFA, and the interplay with the federal Family Medical Leave Act, and the Massachusetts Parental Leave Act.

Attorneys Nick Dominello and Caroline Thibeault Discuss Social Media at the 2018 Annual MMA Conference

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Nick Dominello & Caroline Thibeault

Pictured: From right to left, VDH attorney Nick Dominello, VDH attorney Caroline Thibeault, Easton Town Administrator Connor Read, and Auburn Town Manager Julie Jacobson.

VDH attorneys Nick Dominello and Caroline Thibeault discussed the complex issues that arise when municipalities use social media at the 2018 annual conference of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. The panel was moderated by Julie Jacobson, the Town Manager of Auburn, Massachusetts and also included a presentation by Connor Read, the Town Administrator of Easton, Massachusetts.

The panel discussion covered topics including employee social media use, best practices for operating municipal social media accounts, and compliance with the public records law, state ethics laws, and open meeting law. Nick and Caroline offered practical tips such as encouraging those who operate municipal social media accounts to seek “verification” of their accounts from the social media platforms.

Many of the approximately 75 attendees asked challenging questions about operating and monitoring municipal social media accounts, ranging from how to avoid illegal deliberation online, to monitoring public commenting without running afoul of the first amendment. The discussion highlighted the difficulty in applying long-established legal rules to the dynamic and developing world of social media. We encourage you to reach out to any of the attorneys on our team if you have questions about operating your own municipal social media accounts. We would be happy to assist you.