We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming virtual Tressler Talk:
Thursday, August 5, 2021
1:00-2:00pm CT
Join us for this complimentary webinar to learn about the history of student discipline in the school setting, the current state of student discipline and expectations for the 2021-2022 school year, including the role of restorative practices.This presentation will combine the legal insight of Tressler education attorneys Elizabeth Wagman, Kathleen Gibbons and Darcy Proctor with the renowned restorative justice experience of Dr. Robert Spicer. Participants will come away from this engaging presentation understanding the evolution of student discipline and be inspired to consider the role restorative justice can play in their school setting.
Register Now: https://cvent.me/K0wkYr
View Event Website: https://cvent.me/rqeDnE
Meet Our Speakers
Elizabeth Wagman
Partner at Tressler LLP
Elizabeth Wagman is a partner at Tressler LLP where her practice focuses on student-centric matters in the school setting. While in law school in the early 2000s, she worked for multiple years as an expulsion and truancy hearing prosecutor at Chicago Public Schools. After graduating law school, she transitioned to representing CPS as a due process hearing attorney, eventually managing the group and becoming the Director of Due Process & Mediation. Currently, she spends her time representing various suburban districts providing legal guidance on issues, including but not limited to best practices for responding to student behavior. During her time as a school district attorney, she has seen the pendulum swing from zero-tolerance to restorative justice practices. Her first-hand experiences stemming from representing the third largest school district in the nation during a time of zero tolerance, to her current day-to-day interactions supporting school districts with their reconsideration of their disciplinary practices, as well as her vast knowledge of special education law, gives her unique perspective on school district practices.
Dr. Robert Spicer
CEO at Restorative Strategies, LLC.
Robert Spicer is the CEO of Restorative Strategies, LLC based in Chicago, IL. Restorative Strategies, LLC provides training and technical support to a variety of stakeholders throughout the country with a focus on eradicating the school to prison pipeline. Through the practices of Restorative Justice with an emphasis on teaching Social/Emotional Learning, Restorative Strategies, LLC focus is to build capacity around these practices and move away from criminalizing our most precious resource—our youth.
Kathleen Gibbons
Senior Counsel at Tressler LLP
Kathleen Gibbons brings more than three decades of experience to Tressler’s Local Government Practice Group. Kathleen’s practice focuses on education, special education, litigation and general services for government clients. Prior to joining Tressler in 2020, Kathleen was Senior Assistant General Counsel for the Board of Education of the City of Chicago for more than 26 years. During her tenure at the Chicago Board, Kathleen litigated over 150 multi and single plaintiff employment discrimination cases. She has handled cases at the IDHR, EEOC, IHRC and courts involving ADA, FMLA and ADEA issues. In addition to litigating, a primary focus of Kathleen’s work at the Chicago Board was providing legal advice regarding the federal and state laws and regulations concerning students with disabilities and students who were homeless. Kathleen was also on the CTU Special Education Monthly Committee to proactively work with the union on potential labor disagreements involving the CBA. She was also on the SPED negotiating team for the CTU contract. Kathleen has actively handled collective bargaining member dismissals and associated hearings.
Darcy Proctor
Partner at Tressler LLP
Darcy Proctor is a partner in Tressler’s Local Government Practice Group. Darcy concentrates her practice in the defense of local governments in all aspects of tort, civil rights liability and employment litigation. She also defends private sector employers across a variety of employment law issues.
