Legal
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The Chief Legal Counsel for Jefferson Parish Schools advises the Superintendent, Department Leadership, and school-based administrators on a wide variety of legal matters that arise in the K through 12 educational environment.
Representative legal matters include all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring to employee discipline and separation, employee grievances, employee benefits, and employee rights under Title VII, Title IX, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, and corresponding state law.
Typical school law matters include student rights and responsibilities under state and federal law and Board policy, constitutional issues of free speech, search and seizure, and student discipline, special education under the IDEA and Section 504, and student confidentiality and privacy under FERPA and La. R.S. 17:3914.
The Chief Legal Counsel represents the district before state and federal administrative agencies, oversees the district’s response to requests for records, including requests for public records under the Louisiana Public Records Act (La. R.S. 44:1, et seq.), and is responsible for the drafting, review, and revision of contracts and district policies.
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Doing Business with JP Schools
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Legal Guidance Library
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Outside Behavioral Health Providers
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Public Records Request
Staff Directory
Matt McCluer
Chief Legal Counsel
Matt McCluer serves as Chief Legal Counsel, advising the Superintendent, senior leadership, and school-based administrators on the full range of legal matters that arise in the K–12 educational environment. In this role, Matt oversees all aspects of the district's legal affairs, including providing strategic guidance on federal and Louisiana employment law, student rights and discipline matters, special education cases under the IDEA and Section 504, constitutional issues, and student privacy protections under FERPA, among numerous others. He also represents the district in litigation at the state and federal levels and in administrative matters before state and federal agencies, manages public records compliance under the Louisiana Public Records Act, and is responsible for the drafting, review, and revision of contracts and district policies.
Prior to joining JP Schools, Matt spent 15 years in private practice in New Orleans, focusing on commercial, employment, civil rights, and professional liability litigation and representing clients across a broad range of industries throughout the country. During that time, he developed extensive experience in education law at the primary, secondary, post-secondary, and vocational levels, and handled numerous litigation matters involving student discipline and school employees. Matt is admitted to practice before all Louisiana state and federal courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. He is also a regular speaker at state and federal bar events on workplace discrimination, wage and hour, and general human resources compliance topics. A resident of Gretna and a proud JP Schools parent, Matt brings both deep legal expertise and a personal commitment to the students, families, and staff of the Jefferson Parish community.
Ysabella Ramirez
Executive Assistant to Chief Legal Counsel and
ED of Compliance & Pupil Appraisal
Contact
Jefferson Parish Schools Administration Building
501 Manhattan Blvd.
Harvey, LA 70058
504-349-7600