A mid-size organization launched a “DEI Strategic Plan” in 2020 and had engaged in several activities, but had faced two lawsuits based on racial and disability discrimination in the meantime and suspected that their best efforts were not resulting in measurable outcomes. In other words, why were they still getting sued?

Imprint Legal Group attorneys and change management consultants conducted an environmental assessment for the organization, including conducting interviews with a carefully selected cross-section of employees and clientele, pulse surveys, and reviewing documents, policies, and past lawsuits.

A K-12 school district settled a lawsuit brought by the parents of a student with disabilities based on alleged violation of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). Part of the settlement agreement included training for school employees about children with disabilities, but the Director of Special Education and school district’s general counsel saw this as an opportunity to provide some much-needed broader professional development for their teachers and paraprofessionals.

Instead of a one-time “check the box” training, Imprint Legal Group conducted a multi-week interactive workshop, lead by an attorney and an educator consultant, that combined skill building (such as communicating under stress, listening frequencies, and dissecting narratives) with substantive legal issues around IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The facilitators led the workshop with stories of their professional experiences (teaching children with disabilities and practicing special education law) and personal experiences (having disabilities themselves or having children with disabilities).

A significant number of transgender, nonbinary, and gender creative students were enrolled at a K-12 school district, and the school administrators wanted to ensure the students felt included and celebrated at school while also complying with rapidly changing state and federal laws surrounding trangender students in schools and gingerly walking a hyper-political landscape.

The school administration asked Imprint Legal Group to analyze the school’s practices (including gender support plans, name and pronoun changes, books in the media centers and classrooms, bathrooms and locker rooms, community support and backlash, etc.) from a legal and cultural perspective: What best practices could be implemented in compliance with the laws? What best practices had the administrators not thought of? How could the school hold space for stakeholders of strongly divergent views? What training could Imprint Legal Group provide to teachers and community stakeholders?

A vice president of a 400-employee business identified as a Baby Boomer white man. He filed a grievance with the business’ HR department stating he had been discriminate against by his supervisor, who identified as a Millennial Black female. The vice president alleged that the supervisor had gone overboard with “corporate wokeness,” she didn’t like his political views, and took his argument to the press. Within a week, the organization found itself drowning in requests from national news media for comment, harassing emails and phone calls, and one-star Google reviews by anonymous reviewers.

The organization’s general counsel contacted Imprint Legal Group to conduct an investigation into the vice president’s legal claims, and to assess the internal culture. The hope was to produce a report that could demonstrate to the organization and public that the allegations were taken seriously and thoughtful change management practices were applied. Imprint Legal Group hand-picked their attorneys for the project to reflect the identities of the parties: one white attorney, one Black attorney, one attorney who typically represents organizational defendants, one attorney who typically represents plaintiffs in employment law, one male attorney, and one female attorney. Imprint Legal Group conducted an investigation into the vice president’s allegations and their legal implications, as well as the organizational culture. Not only could Imprint Legal Group attorneys speak to the strengths and weaknesses of the vice president’s allegations under state and federal law, but also provided recommendations for larger risk management opportunities in leadership, mentorship, organizational structure and systems.

A high school student filed a Title IX complaint against five alleged harassers on the same sports team, accusing them of sexually harassing him based on his sexual orientation.

Using their decades of experience in Title IX and conducting sexual harassment investigations, the attorneys at Imprint Legal Group worked with the school administrators, school general counsel, six families, and team coaches to navigate the Title IX investigation. Although a typical Title IX investigation would result in a “written determination” concluding if Title IX or school policy was violated,

Imprint Legal Group used their legal acumen, trauma-informed interviews, and restorative justice principles to create an out-of-the-box solution that protected the students’ legal rights while also revitalizing the culture of the sports team. Instead of a “winner” and “loser” in the Title IX determination, all six student-athletes and their coaches had a chance to create a safe, legally compliant, and productive environment.