Do we know how to act as professionals and what Acts hold us accountable? Do you have a Philadelphia lawyer on speed dial?
Acts usually have companion Acts and laws. Teachers are not trained to be lawyers. Did you read my book? That is not a rhetorical question.
I mean it when I asked the speed dial question. I do not trust most lawyers ( certain parts of my book make it clear why). They create the laws and then are ignorant of them, skirt them, and violate them. The ignorance part gets to me with lawyers and school districts. Do you think all board members, administrators, teachers, or communities act stupidly on their own? School board attorney positions are coveted. They can get it dead wrong. Many have, Board of Education attorneys often work for more than one district and are on special lists too.
The Clery Act, FERPA, IDEA.. if you are not reading the news, then you should start looking at these Acts. Many links are in my other posts.
So, in 2025, due to school violence, a new Act came into play. The School Violence Prevention Act.
But wait, there is another one passed in 2018. This is a funding source for prevention.
2026 open and closing dates to get funding listed in the link below.
Prevention Program Support - Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund https://share.google/QCvrmbzyW3e6hrFgQ
2014:
What didn't the principal in 2018 have an understanding of in prevention ( see Rewarded for Failure post)?
If you need a Philadelphia lawyer for failing to protect, get out of education. Sometimes getting help is as easy as stating: "Houston, we have a problem." There are enough rinse and repeat training programs that your statement should not be ignored. Retaliation is truly against the law.
Also see: copy and paste links.
School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) | COPS OFFICE https://share.google/mghTOsj1yDZWGVntU
Search | National Institute of Justice
https://share.google/3pfAI96uD3nnwACyY
I list the links with limited explanation. You should do the reseach if it matters to you or a loved one.
Liability:
Can you be held criminally responsible? Parents are now held criminally accountable: Colin Gray trial: a warning 90 minutes before the deadly shooting. People want to know why others were not charged from the school. The father was found guilty.
https://youtu.be/gOWGmSrNdsY?is=WQtX01jLVPfIlnO4
https://youtu.be/dUyGdfxUC00?is=GYN9RnEVYkMnnk_B
A VP was actually charged in Newport News, Va. (See posts). People are legally asking that question about staff responsibility. A grand jury in Va. agreed. The civil suit has long been filed and won by the teacher. There are pending civil suits by parents. The VP lost the civil suit filed by the teacher/victim and a judge interferred with the criminal trial of the VP.
https://youtu.be/6dbFpIAlydk?is=0bXzcwZ7ftMeACsf
The police officer at Uvalde was found not guilty of charges in January 2026. I felt it was a just verdict. It was a real trial despite some theories that the events never happened. Fingers were pointed at others also in the trial. The policeman was part of rescue and recovery, the prevention part did not happen. The DA said "the officer should have been aware the children were in danger. Training is important". The DA's closing argument, "get another career he says of the police who not do their jobs".
https://youtu.be/zn43lT7oZKk?is=VwQRaUat4MIbH4ZA
https://youtu.be/tWcDP3SMSUM?is=54E3Yb9ROAc8iAq4
Do not be afraid of what you do to prevent a shooting or attack. Be afraid of what you fail to do. The rescue and recovery stages are hard on everyone. Trials are part of the grieving stage.
There ought to be laws that put prevention at top priority, right?
Marian R. Carlino
October 5, 2026