# data[].attributes.body
Upon completion of the Curriculum and Instruction Professional Education with Texas Teachers certification, I plan to teach health and physical education courses either at the secondary school or higher education institutions. I would love to teach sports medicine courses wherever my job may take me.

# data[].attributes.body
I was able to interview John Overton, who is a licensed athletic trainer and also has a Master's in education. John also serves as the chair for the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association (SWATA) and teaches physical education courses at Howard College.

#1 He states "By being the chair of SWATA, he has been able to keep up with the current legal issues that athletic trainers are experiencing through meetings."
Another way to keep up with legal issues is by going to live continuing education opportunities that focus on federal legislation and emerging events for educators. There are several conferences a year for athletic trainers, SWATA being one of the many conferences.

#2 When people claim to be athletic trainers without having an athletic training degree. This is opening up the individual and the school district to multiple lawsuits. Reporting these individuals posing as athletic training can be made to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

#3 As an educator at Howard College, we are required to take multiple online courses such as Title IX training to ensure that no gender based discrimination is happening in the classrooms. We also have to ensure that each students accommodations are being met. If we fail to do so, there are consequences which could lead to unemployment. Howard College also has several opportunities for professional development.

#4 In order for athletic training licenses to stay current, 40 hours of CEU's (continuing education units) must be completed. Without these, the license is no longer valid.

#5 Students with special needs have accommodations that have to be met. They are now apart of inclusion classrooms and educators have to adjust to their needs.

(J. Overton, personal communication, March 18, 2019)

# data[].attributes.body
As an athletic trainer, it is important to know what the school district is liable for and how to help these students in these special cases.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
While a school's primary goal is to educate students, another priority is providing a safe environment. It's a responsibility enforced in federal, state and local laws, but ultimately, students can - and do - get hurt. And when they do, many blame the school or district.

Getting scraped up during recess, for instance, isn't new. Neither is getting made fun of by a classmate. Some medical experts call falls and broken bones " inevitable ," and some scholars cite teasing as an " important preparation for life ." But more severe issues, including sexual harassment, cyberbullying and school shootings are increasingly penetrating classrooms, spurring legal disputes over who's responsible.

"School safety is moving from the schoolhouse to the court of public opinion and the law," said school safety consultant Kenneth Trump. "But every case is unique - the legal issues vary, the allegations vary, and that's what makes it hard to pin it down to a handful of specific issues and put it in this neat little box."

Hundreds of lawsuits point the finger at schools or districts when students get injuried. Among the most recent was a suit against Broward County Public Schools and the county sheriff's office - both of which a federal judge said didn't have a legal duty to protect students - after the Parkland, Florida, shooting. These cases span different issues and reached varying verdicts, but they involve the same question: To what degree are these entities liable for students' safety?

Below, we've broken down a list of cases involving a school or district's role in student safety. Here's what happened and what they mean in the debate:

M.S.D. of Martinsville v. Rebecca Jackson

What happened: In March 2011, two students at West Martinsville Middle School in Indiana were injured in a shooting: One, who was shot twice in the stomach, was targeted by the shooter - a former student known to threaten and harass his peers -

Though the shooter threatened the victim several times - and threats were reported to teachers before the shooting - teachers didn't tell the administration, court documents say. Additionally, in the suit, the victim's mother said the district didn't protect her son because certain school entrances were left unlocked and monitors weren't properly warned about the shooter being a threat, among other alleged safety breaches.

While the district argued the suit should be dismissed because it couldn't have reasonably prevented the shooting, an appeals court disagreed.

What this means: This ruling shows schools or districts can be found liable if evidence proves the event could have reasonably been prevented, either because officials had reason to believe it would take place or if their response protocol wasn't sufficiently implemented.

Scarlett Lewis, et al. v. Newtown Board of Education and Town of Newtown

What happened: In one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012.

In her decision, the judge said, "...Faculty and staff had to make split-second decisions ... and subjecting their decisions to scrutiny, aided by hindsight, would no less serve the public interest than subjecting a police officer's discretionary decisions to second guessing."

She added, "Emergencies, by their very nature, are sudden and often rapidly evolving events, and a response can never be 100% scripted and directed."

According to this ruling, school officials can have similar protections to police officers. Even if a school has a safety protocol, it's hard to force people to have scripted emergency responses without taking split-second judgment into account. And if someone gets hurt, it's not necessarily something for which a school or district is liable.

Sexual misconduct

Mitchell v. Cedar Rapids Community School District

One day, the 9th-grader got her mother's permission to go to a friend's house after school, but she skipped last period. The 12th-grader raped her that afternoon. While the school day had ended when the rape happened, the girl's mom didn't know her daughter missed last period, and there were no special requirements for handling absences in her Individualized Education Program (IEP). Her mother sued the district for negligence, failing to monitor her daughter and notify her in a timely manner.

The district argued that because the rape didn't happen during school hours or on school grounds, it wasn't legally liable. But the Iowa Supreme Court ruled it could have been prevented.

What this means: This ruling doesn't imply a district or school is legally obligated to protect students outside of school hours or off school grounds in non-school activities. However, it does show that in certain cases, if evidence shows it either could have predicted or prevented such an incident from happening, they could be liable.

Shawnee Mathis, et al. v. Wayne County Board of Education, et al.

After the coach first heard about the incident, he allegedly didn't report it. One boy's parent later told the school, and the 8th-graders who were responsible were suspended for 10 days. The other boy's parent went to the school with concerns about what happened, but the suit alleges the principal didn't seem too troubled by it.

The boys continued to face harassment and were later pulled out of school. The school took some steps to prevent locker room misconduct, but in a disciplinary hearing, a committee of school officials chose not to suspend the 8th-graders for the rest of the basketball season, and the Wayne County Board of Education moved up their reinstatement date.

tudents and families who file suit often face many hurdles in proving a school or district is liable. According to the What this means: S Associated Press, districts in some states - including Virginia and Georgia - have "absolute immunity" from state-level lawsuits, while others, such as Florida, cap amounts schools must pay in damages. It's possible for a school to be held accountable, but it can be a high bar to hit.

Bullying/harassment

Kowalski v. Berkeley County Schools

When the victim and her parents filed a harassment complaint with the school, the site's creator was suspended for five days for the so-called "hate website," which violated school bullying, harassment and intimidation policies. She sued, claiming her First Amendment rights were violated, because her site was private and was created outside of school.

"foreseeable " that the website would "create a substantial disruption in the school, " therefore allowing the school to control the student's speech.

Wyke v. Polk County School Board

What happened: The mother of Shawn Wyke, a 13-year-old who died by suicide, sued her son's district in Polk County, Florida, alleging administrators knew he tried to commit suicide twice at school before his death. When the dean of students found out about Wyke's first attempt, he called the student into his office and read Bible verses, according to court documents. He thought they made Wyke feel better and that he did all he could that day.

Wyke's mother sued the school board, the vice principal and the principal, alleging there was inadequate intervention and prevention training for school employees that contributed to her son's wrongful death. A district court ruled the district could be found liable due to a failure to notify Wyke's parents about what happened, and their knowledge of his two attempts made the incident foreseeable.

What this means: Hundreds of students die by suicide each year, and many parents or guardians argue schools could have done more to prevent this. But in the past, courts often haven't deemed schools and districts liable for student suicides unless it was clear officials knew a student was suicidal and did nothing, or if they intentionally made things worse.

However, the sampling of cases to examine is relatively limited. Since this suit was filed, several schools and/or districts are facing legal action for their alleged liability in similar incidents. The outcomes of those cases will reveal a lot about where the line is drawn for schools' and districts' legal responsibilities.

Brewington v. Philadelphia School District

More than a year later, the boy's mother sued the elementary school and the Philadelphia School District, alleging the lack of padding on the gym walls was dangerous and constituted negligence. The school argued it was immune from the suit, but in a December 2018 ruling, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected this claim.

The court said this incident qualified as an exception to the immunity provision, giving the boy's mom a right to sue. According to the "" if an agency doesn't put adequate safety features in place for normal or reasonable use of property, it can be sued. In this case, the court found, the lack of padding could constitute negligence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
To what extent are districts, schools liable for students' safety?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While a school's primary goal is to educate students, another priority is providing a safe environment. It's a responsibility enforced in federal, state and local laws, but ultimately, students can - and do - get hurt. And when they do, many blame the school or district.

# data[].attributes.body
According to Inside Higher Ed (2019), a group of gym teachers is questioning if an online physical education is benefiting students. Redden describes how the online format is defeating the purpose of gym class.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A group of more than 600 gym teachers in Quebec is concerned about an online physical education program that is being offered by nine technical colleges, the CBC reported. The gym teachers object to the fact that no face-to-face meetings with advisers are required and say the online format undercuts the purpose of gym classes.

"One of the things you do in physical education classes is develop social connections," Jérôme Leriche, a professor of education and sports at the Université de Sherbrooke, said to Radio-Canada.

Five students have enrolled in the online physical education program, which is being overseen by CEGEP de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue, a college located about 300 miles northwest of Montreal. Eric Aubin, the college's director of studies, said the program was designed in consultation with physical education teachers. Aubin said the classes are intended to respond to demand from students who were having difficulty completing their required classes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A group of more than 600 gym teachers in Quebec is concerned about an online physical education program that is being offered by nine technical colleges, the CBC reported. The gym teachers object to the fact that no face-to-face meetings with advisers are required and say the online format undercuts the purpose of gym classes.

# data[].attributes.headline
Legal and Ethical Issue of Interest to me.

# data[].attributes.subject
Legal and Ethical Issue of Interest to me.

# data[].attributes.body
After exploring different legal and ethical issues in teaching physical education courses, I am most interested in the effectiveness of online physical education courses and how they impact an individuals lifestyle.

# data[].attributes.body
Campisi, J. (2019). To what extent are districts, schools liable for students' safety? https://www.educationdive.com/news/to-what-extent-are-districts-schools-liable-for-students-safety/547823/

Daum, D. N., & Woods, A. M. (2015). Physical Education Teacher Educator’s Perceptions Toward and Understanding of K-12 Online Physical Education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 34(4), 716–724.  https://easydb.angelo.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=111162385&site=eds-live

Overton, J. (2019, March 18). personal communication.

Redden, E. (2019). Objections to Online gym classes. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/03/21/objections-online-gym-classes

Williams, L. (2013) A Case Study of virtual physical education teachers' experiences in and perspectives of online teaching. Graduate Theses and Dissertations.

http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4962

# data[].attributes.headline
Researching Online Physical Education Courses and Their Effectiveness

# data[].attributes.subject
Researching Online Physical Education Courses and Their Effectiveness

# data[].attributes.body
In my research on the Angelo State's Library, I found a research article that suggest online physical education standards can be met except one. Although more research is warranted, the research presented in this article shows online physical education is not appropriate for every grade level.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Angelo State University - Library Online Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Unauthorized use is prohibited; Usage may be subject to security testing and monitoring; Misuse is subject to criminal prosecution; No expectation of privacy except as otherwise provided by applicable privacy laws.

# data[].attributes.headline
Researching Online Physical Education Courses and Their Effectiveness 

# data[].attributes.subject
Researching Online Physical Education Courses and Their Effectiveness 

# data[].attributes.body
In this case study, the author describes how the teachers operated their online physical education courses, and what the students outcomes were.

# data[].attributes.body
Online education has seen an major increase in recent years.
According to Daum and Woods (2015), online physical education is not appropriate for everyone. During the elementary years, development of motor skills is extremely important. These skills are the building blocks for more challenging skills. During this time Daum and Woods state that online physical education is inappropriate for these students. Not only did teachers this was an inappropriate way to teach these students, but they also stated children at this age struggle with communication. As students get into middle school and high school, the authors felt that online physical education program could be achieved successfully if they had a proper foundation.

In both articles, one topic was apparent, student accountability. Most of these programs rely on students to do workouts on their own, and submit their workout via email. Students enrolled in online courses has chosen so for the flexibility. With this physical education courses, students are allowed to workout whenever it is convenient for them and their busy day-to-day activities. Providing these students with detailed feedback and personal experiences can lead these students to a healthier lifestyle.

This is important to me and my future role as an educator because more classes are becoming online. When these programs are done properly they can benefit these students. Educators should uphold the high ethical standards and prove that online education if done properly would not be a disservice to students.