Melinda B. Kaufmann

Melinda B. Kaufmann is a knowledgeable advisor who assists boards of education and employers with understanding and applying the myriad of changing laws that affect their business.  When it becomes necessary, she is a powerful advocate both in court and before administrative agencies.  Clients appreciate her unique knowledge and insight into the challenges faced by their schools and organizations. In addition to her law degree, Melinda has a Master’s Degree in Special Education and taught special education and mathematics for five years.

Melinda successfully defended a board of education in the first special education federal jury trial in the country.  Boards of Education appreciate her extensive experience representing them before state and federal agencies, including the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration, the State Board of Labor Relations, and in arbitrations before American Arbitration Association arbitrators.  She also represents boards of education before the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights on claims of disability and race/national origin discrimination and the Connecticut State Department of Education and is certified as a Civil Rights Investigator Three through ATIXA.

Melinda defends employers and their individual officers, agents and employees in federal and state courts and before federal and state agencies regarding various issues including: discrimination, retaliation and harassment claims under Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, whistleblower claims, constitutional claims under Section 1983, First Amendment, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act and various employment-related tort claims.   Melinda routinely negotiates collective bargaining agreements.  

A sought after speaker and trainer, Melinda frequently provides employee training on topics such as sexual harassment, special education, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, student discipline, discrimination, the ADA, the Family Medical Leave Act and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.  She frequently trains school district employees on Title IX. 

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Professional Affiliations

Connecticut School Attorneys Council - past-president

Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame - trustee

ATIXA - certified Civil Rights Investigator Three

• Prevailed on summary judgment at the Federal District Court when a non-tenured teacher claimed her contract was not renewed because of her ethnicity.
• Successfully defended through the Federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit a board of education accused of discriminating and retaliating against an administrator in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act when it demoted the administrator.
• Successfully defended, through the Federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a board of education against a claim of national origin by a teacher who had been terminated for cause.
• Successfully defended, through the Federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a board of education against a claim of disability discrimination after it terminated an employee who was found to be under the influence of alcohol during work hours.
• Prevailed on summary judgment against a claim by a teacher who alleged her employment was not renewed because of whistleblower activity.
• Defense of employers against claims of employment discrimination based on age, race, national original, pregnancy, disability, gender and gender orientation, before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• Defended employers in federal and state court involving claims of discrimination including age, race, disability, retaliation, First Amendment rights of employees, whistleblower claims, and constitutional claims brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 1983.
• Successfully defended boards of education against grievances brought to arbitration involving employee discipline, denials of transfer, lack of employee parking, contract interpretation and other conditions of employment.
• Defense of employers before the Federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
• Provided employers with training on preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.
• Advised employers on all aspects of the employment relationship including employee discipline, accommodating employees with disabilities, the application of the Family Medical Leave Act.
• Defense of employers before the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration and the State Board of Labor Relations.
• Collectively bargained contracts with unions representing various non-certified public employees.

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