RPJ Partner Helen D. (Heidi) Reavis Featured in Law360 Article

As the fall semester gets under way, Law360 published an article by Amanda Ottaway on the discrimination issues that U.S. colleges and universities should watch out for in the months to come, quoting RPJ Partner Helen D. “Heidi” Reavis. Legal experts opined on how schools of higher education nation-wide should remain vigilant regarding the quickly shifting state and federal laws concerning race factors in admissions, LGBTQ+ and abortion rights, and proposed new regulations by the U.S. Department of Education seeking to undo Trump-era limitations on the application of Title IX.

Ms. Reavis discussed how she expects health counseling and access to abortion and contraception to be fraught issues for colleges and universities this year, saying “I’m thinking that health services are going to become the biggest department on campus, right next to the Title IX coordinator, right next to the law department that’s getting called day in and day out.” As states continue to limit abortion rights and even access to contraception, Ms. Reavis foresees a “hotbed of potential problems” for college employees as well, and particularly those charged with providing students with counseling and health services.

She added that institutions should decide whether to take a stand and become more activist, or outsource healthcare services to external providers in order to limit their own potential liability. Either way, colleges and universities would be well advised to script their healthcare personnel carefully, as employees will be seeking clarity as to what and how to counsel this new post-Roe generation of students – which unfortunately may limit the very assistance students need.

Read more in Discrimination Issues To Watch On Campus This Fall.

This article is intended as a general discussion of these issues only and is not to be considered legal advice or relied upon. For more information, please contact RPJ Partner Helen D. “Heidi” Reavis who counsels clients in areas of corporate operations and management, employment matters and dispute resolution, and media and intellectual property law.