Empowering You with Essential Legal Knowledge

Beverly Hills High School journalism teacher Romeo Carey said he signed an agreement on March 5 with the Beverly Hills Unified School District to return to the school following three months of administrative leave. Carey was placed on paid leave on Dec. 1 for reasons that were not disclosed by the school district. However, community members characterized it as an act of retaliation and censorship.

A class action lawsuit against Stanford is accusing the university of discriminating against students with mental health problems by forcing them into taking leaves of absence. According to the New York Times, this is part of a larger pushback from students against leave of absence policies, which they can jeopardize a student’s academic career, further damage their mental health and might prevent a student from seeking help in the first place. A university can ask a student to leave if they present a harm to others, but it’s less clear what a university can or should do if the student might harm themselves. In some cases, a leave of absence is an opportunity for a student to get away from the stressors of school and might be the best option. But how does a university or a counselor make that call? Should it ever be mandatory? In what ways should a school accommodate and help students with mental health issues on campus?