In honor of our dear friend and colleague, Roger Schmitz, we wanted to publish an encore of Roger's episode of the podcast. Sadly, Roger passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and service to the public schools of Missouri.

This episode originally aired on May 20, 2022.

In this episode, we continue the "Leaders and the Law" series with school leader and public education advocate, Roger Schmitz. Duane discusses with Roger his thoughts and reflections on public school challenges, leadership, and advocacy.

Some former and current legislators argue that school districts should pass policies requiring sex segregated school restrooms. The Missouri Human Rights Act prohibits segregation in public accommodations, including restrooms, on the basis of sex. This prohibition is broad enough to allow for claims that males cannot be excluded from female restrooms and vice versa. As long as this language is on the books, and as long as the law is otherwise unsettled as to whether schools can have sex segregated restrooms, districts should avoid adopting policies that may lead to increased legal risks.

In this episode, Duane and Emily talk through the legal parameters and mechanics of board reorganization meetings.