• News

Massachusetts Legislature Extends Remote Meeting Bill Through March 2023

On July 16, 2022, Governor Baker signed into law a new session law, An Act Relative to Extending Certain State of Emergency Accommodations, which extends certain COVID-19 related measures including provisions regarding holding remote meetings and remote public access to meetings. This extension expires on March 31, 2023. This extension allows public bodies to continue […]

Extension Of Remote Open Meeting Bill Remains Pending In Massachusetts Legislature

On February 15, 2022, Governor Baker signed into law a new session law, Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2022, which extends certain COVID-19 related measures including provisions regarding holding remote meetings and remote public access to meetings. This extension expires on July 15, 2022. The Senate budget bill includes a provision that would extend […]

Supreme Court Rules That A Public School Violated The First Amendment By Disciplining Coach For Field Prayer

On June 27, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, No. 21-418 (2022), holding that a public school district violated the First Amendment rights of its high school football coach, Joseph Kennedy, when it suspended and later non-renewed him for praying quietly and without his players […]

SJC Decides that Non-Exempt Employees Cannot Receive the Massachusetts Wage Payment Law Remedies for the Untimely Payment of FLSA Overtime

On April 14, 2022, the Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision holding that employees whose sole claim for untimely overtime wages rests on the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C., § 203, can only recover the remedies provided under the FLSA and cannot use the Massachusetts Wage Payment Law, G.L. c. 149, § […]

SJC Decides That Employers Are Strictly Liable for Treble the Amount of Wages, Including Accrued, Unused Vacation That is Not Paid on the Date of Termination

On April 4, 2022, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision in Reuter v, City of Methuen, No. 13121 (2022), holding that an employer who failed to pay a discharged employee for accrued vacation time on the day of her termination, as required by the Wage Act, G.L. c. 149, §148, is strictly liable […]

Supreme Court Decides That an Elected Public Board Did Not Violate the First Amendment When It Censured One of Its Members

On March 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in Houston Community College System v. Wilson, No. 20-804 (2022), holding that an elected member of a public body does not have a First Amendment claim arising from that body’s verbal censure of the member. The Court’s decision was limited to the narrow […]

Nick Dominello Named President of the Massachusetts Council of School Attorneys (“COSA”)

Effective January 1, 2022 Nick Dominello was named President of the Massachusetts Council of School Attorneys, an affiliate organization of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC).  After serving as a former COSA Officer, member at large, Nick was elected President of COSA for a one-year term (January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023) during […]

Liz Valerio and Nick Dominello Present at 2022 Massachusetts Association of School Personnel Administrators (“MASPA”) Law Day

On Friday, March 18, 2022 Liz and Nick presented at the MASPA School Law Day webinar.  Liz and Nick discussed Ongoing Bargaining Trends and Employee Issues Associated with COVID-19.

SJC Finds That Petitions Under The Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) Statute May Be Filed By Non-Attorney School Personnel

On March 18, 2022, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision, Lexington Public Schools v. K.S., holding that pursuant to G.L. c. 119, § 39E, the Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) statute, non-attorney school personnel are authorized to file Juvenile Court petitions concerning students. The issue before the court was whether an assistant principal committed […]

Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act Ends

Last year, the Massachusetts legislature passed “An Act Providing For Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave.”  As of March 15, 2022, the Act has expired and employees are no longer eligible for leave under the Act. The Act went into effect on May 28, 2021 and required employers to provide eligible employees with up to […]