News from Thrun Law

As part of Thrun Law Firm’s Holiday Outreach we have adopted a unit of servicemen and women from the Shaw Air Force Base who are supporting the 77^th Fighter Squadron stationed in the Middle East.  The Holidays can be an especially tough time for the men and women of our Armed Services, and it is our hope that we can make the Holiday season a little easier and more enjoyable for them.  While there is no way to give these heroes the joy of being on our home soil...

The winter holiday season poses challenges to school officials seeking to recognize holidays without infringing upon the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. While the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet ruled specifically on religious holiday celebra­tions in public schools, there are a number of other decisions by the Supreme Court and lower courts that provide guidance to school officials about handling religious holidays consistent with the First Amendment.

The Supreme Court has...

The importance of obtaining “qualified status” each year from the Michigan Department of Treasury (“Treasury”) cannot be overemphasized. School dis­tricts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies that obtain qualified status are able to more swiftly issue new bonds and notes and pay low­er filing fees to the State of Michigan for that debt. Those that do not obtain qualified status may experi­ence significant delays in issuing bonds and notes during calendar year 2015....

A Tenure Commission ALJ recently ordered Flint Community Schools to reinstate teacher Beth Casucci, finding that the District’s decision to terminate her em­ployment violated the Teachers’ Tenure Act. Casucci v Flint Cmty Schs (PDO 13-54).

The school’s file indicated that Casucci’s teaching certificate would expire on June 30, 2013. In November 2012 and February 2013, the school sent Casucci warning letters that her teaching certificate...