School reopenings expected to bring a wave of lawsuits

Schools should review their D&O and EPL insurance so they are ready to confront a potential wave of lawsuits. (Photo: Shutterstock)

A Georgia high school that made headlines for its packed hallways and unmasked students announced Aug. 9 that it would close for at least two days after it identified nine cases of COVID-19. Six students and three staff members tested positive for the virus after the first week of in-person instruction at the school, one of the first to reopen for the 2020-21 school year amid debate around the best way to resume learning during the pandemic. Many K-12 schools and colleges across the U.S. remain undecided over whether students will return this fall in person, virtually or a combination of both.

That uncertainty has worsened in recent days as reports emerge of increased COVID-19 cases in children. A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association revealed a 90% increase in COVID-19 cases among children between July 9 and Aug. 6, bringing the total of pediatric cases to 380,174, or about 9.1% of all cases. In addition, more than 6,600 COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths have been linked to college campuses since the pandemic began.