Tag Archive for: Charter School Insurance

Playground Safety Tips

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From the National Safety Council, the following are their top tips for keeping kids safe while on the playground: Top Checklist for Playground Safety Surfaces around playground equipment should be filled with loose-fill, wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel. Look for exposed concrete footings, tree roots, or rocks that could trip children. Check for […]

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Charter School Risk Management: Crosswalk Safety

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Whether you walk, bike or drive, take 5 seconds to follow crosswalk safety guidelines.

Pedestrians:

  • Always cross at marked crosswalks.  You forfeit your rights as a pedestrian if you cross elsewhere.
  • Obey any pedestrian signals and look left-right-left to make sure the road is clear in both directions before crossing.
  • If a vehicle approaches, make eye contact with the driver to be sure s/he sees you before you cross.
  • Look before walking past stopped vehicles. Do not cross just because a driver waves you on. Be sure all lanes are clear first.
  • Remember that bicyclists are not considered pedestrians unless they are walking their bikes. Otherwise, they are considered vehicles.

Bicyclists:

  • Yield to pedestrians.
  • Remember that bicyclists are not considered pedestrians unless they are walking their bikes. Otherwise, they are considered vehicles and forfeit their rights as pedestrians in the case of an accident or citation.
  • Use marked bike paths or multi-use paths when available.
  • Obey vehicular traffic signals and laws on the roadways.
  • Use extra caution as you transition between bike paths, roads and sidewalks. Be aware that your actions are unpredictable to drivers and pedestrians.

Drivers:

  • Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and at intersections.
  • Be prepared to stop at all marked crosswalks. Stay alert and reduce speed in areas with crosswalks.
  • Be alert for bicyclists and skateboarders whose approaches to the crosswalk may be much swifter than those of pedestrians.
  • Come to a complete stop if pedestrians are crossing or preparing to cross.
  • Wait until pedestrians have crossed at least one lane past the lane you are in before resuming travel.
  • Never pass another vehicle that has stopped or is slowing down at a crosswalk.

 

Charter School Insurance: EPLI Claim Scenario

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Every few months we like to share information on various claims experienced by charter schools.  While the names and any personal information have been removed, the claims are still very real, and important to take note of.

TUV Charter School terminated a long-time administrator for alienating employees and parents and disinterest in his job. The manager was 59 years old when the termination took place, and TUV checked off “other” instead of “poor performance” on the termination form as the reason for the termination.

The administrator filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging he was terminated because of his age. In his charge, he stated that he had always received regular merit pay increases, was replaced by a worker in his 30s, and that some members of senior management had made comments about needing “to get rid of the old guys.”

The administrator subsequently filed a lawsuit against the school seeking two years of lost wages and benefits, as well as compensation for emotional distress. Although TUV believed it was innocent of the allegations, the school determined that defending against the lawsuit would be costly. The case eventually settled out of court for $250,000, while expenses totaled more than $60,000.