Navigating Legal Gray Zones: Managing Mental Health and Behavior-Based Safety Risks

Description

Date: Friday, July 18, 2025 

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

What happens when a student returns from psychiatric hospitalization, the school lacks the resources to safely support them, and the system fails to respond in time? 

This webinar will unpack one of the most urgent and unclear challenges APSSDs face: how to respond when a student arrives at school with serious psychiatric needs that exceed the school's capacity, and legal options appear limited. Attorneys from Porzio, Bromberg & Newman will walk through best practices, possible policy language, and reasonable response protocols when districts, parents, or DCP&P leave schools stuck in the middle. 

Topics include: 

• Understanding what qualifies as an “imminent threat” 
• Reasonable steps for protecting students and staff 
• How to document and escalate when CST or parents don’t respond 
• Communicating legally and effectively without overstepping

A recording will be available for ASAH members unable to attend live.

Presented by Porzio, Bromberg & Newman - 

Vito A. Gagliardi, Jr., Managing Principal

Vito A. Gagliardi, Jr. is the Managing Principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C., and the President and CEO of Porzio Compliance Services (PorzioCS) and Porzio Governmental Affairs (PGA). Beyond his roles, Vito co-chairs the firm's Litigation Practice Group, and its Education and Employment Team. Certified as a Civil Trial Attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Trial Certification and a distinguished fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, Vito has left an indelible mark by arguing precedent-setting cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court. Vito's exceptional talent for simplifying complex facts and evidence to judges and juries sets him apart, with a remarkable track record of successful dispute resolutions through trial or negotiation. Widely renowned for his astute counsel, Vito's vast experience extends to boards of education, colleges, universities, APSSDs, charter schools, and businesses ranging in size from Fortune 100 companies to small, privately held entities. His influence expands to the Employment and Labor sector, where he is recognized for his strategic counsel in state and federal courts and key agencies. Vito's reputation as a trusted advisor and litigator reflects his unwavering dedication to achieving favorable outcomes for his clients.

Kerri A. Wright, Principal

Kerri Wright is a principal at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C., where she co-chairs the firm’s Education and Employment Team within the Litigation Practice Group. She focuses on education and employment law, representing management in both counseling and litigation matters. Kerri has extensive experience defending public and private sector clients in state and federal courts and before agencies such as the EEOC and NJ Department of Labor, handling issues including wage and hour claims, discrimination, whistleblower actions, and internal investigations. She is also a recognized leader in school district reconfiguration and regularly advises school boards, charter schools, and higher education institutions. A former five-term member and President of the Chester Board of Education, Kerri was named New Jersey Board Member of the Year by the NJ School Boards Association for 2021–2022.

Janelle Edwards-Stewart, Principal

Janelle Edwards-Stewart is a member of the Education, Employment and Labor Team at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C., where she serves as trusted counsel to public and private entities across the education, healthcare, and insurance sectors. She advises clients on a broad range of employment and education law matters, including discrimination claims, internal investigations, regulatory compliance, employee discipline, and policy development. As outside general counsel, Janelle provides day-to-day support to school districts, independent schools, and Approved Private Schools for Students with Disabilities (APSSDs), with a focus on operational issues, student services, and staff-related challenges. She is a frequent speaker and trainer on legal issues affecting schools and workplaces, and regularly represents clients in federal and state courts as well as before administrative agencies such as the EEOC and the New Jersey Department of Labor. Janelle also collaborates with the Porzio Governmental Affairs team to help shape laws and regulations that support the needs of educational institutions across New Jersey.

Patricia C. Morgan, Of Counsel

Patricia Morgan is Of Counsel at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman and a member of the firm’s Education Team, bringing over a decade of education policy and legal experience. A former Assistant Commissioner at the New Jersey Department of Education and Assistant Counsel in the Governor’s Office, Patricia advises public school districts, charter schools, private schools for students with disabilities, and higher education institutions. She has deep expertise in special education, school funding, student discipline, and school ethics, and also serves as a Director at Porzio Governmental Affairs, where she focuses on shaping education policy statewide.