School Discrimination Lawyer Columbia, MO
If your child has been treated differently at school because of race, sex, disability, religion, or another protected characteristic, you have legal options.
TGH Litigation stands up for students whose civil rights have been violated. Our founding partners bring more than 80 years of combined experience in civil rights, employment, and education cases. We are committed to providing strategic, results-driven advocacy to protect the rights of our clients. Request a free consultation with our Columbia, MO school discrimination lawyer to discuss your case.
Why Choose TGH Litigation for School Discrimination in Columbia, MO?
Local Roots in Columbia and Mid-Missouri
Our firm’s founding partners have built their careers on civil rights and education cases in Missouri courts. Joanna Trachtenberg represents students, parents, teachers, and faculty across the state in school and university administrative matters, including Title IX investigations, civil rights complaints, student conduct and disciplinary proceedings, and tenure and promotion disputes. She earned her law degree cum laude from NYU School of Law, holds an M.A. in Women’s Studies from the University of Limerick, and is admitted in Missouri, New York, the Second Circuit, the Eighth Circuit, and multiple federal district courts.
Julianne Germinder is a founding partner and Women’s Justice Award recipient who handles school discrimination, employment discrimination, and civil rights litigation. She earned her J.D. from Washington University School of Law and holds two undergraduate degrees, magna cum laude, from the University of Missouri.
J. Andrew Hirth brings appellate experience alongside trial work, with admissions to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and five federal circuit courts, including the Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits. He earned his J.D. cum laude from Mizzou Law.
Results Against Schools and Public Agencies
Our civil rights lawyer in Columbia, MO protects students, employees, and families when institutions violate their rights.Our firm has recovered millions of dollars in civil rights, discrimination, and retaliation cases against Missouri schools, universities, and public bodies. We’ve sued Columbia Public Schools over a security coordinator’s assault of a freshman student. We’ve represented a student with autism after a Rolla district spanking. And our civil rights claims against the University of Missouri were reinstated by the Missouri Court of Appeals.
Free Consultations, Honest Assessments
Your first conversation with our firm costs nothing. We’ll listen, ask real questions, and give you an honest read on whether the school crossed a legal line. If we believe you have a claim, we’ll explain your options in plain language before you commit to anything.
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“I am eternally grateful for the team at TGH Litigation. I worked primarily with Julianne as well as Joanna, and experienced nothing but honesty, support, and guidance throughout a lengthy, intense process. They advocated for and with me with heart, integrity, and a wealth of knowledge gained from their collective and individual experience. Nothing about finding yourself in a situation requiring their help is fun or easy, but they made it such an empowering journey overall. I never felt like just another nameless client or number. I’ve consistently referred people to them, and everyone I know that has worked with them also sings their praises. Their whole team is made up of kind, experienced, brilliant attorneys, paralegals, and students. I highly recommend TGH Litigation for anyone considering the assistance of an attorney, and will continue to do so for as long as they practice.”
- Sela Freuler
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of School Discrimination Cases We Handle in Columbia
School discrimination takes many forms. Sometimes it’s an administrator who never follows up on complaints. Other times it’s unequal discipline, retaliation after a report, or a Title IX process that skips steps. Our Columbia school discrimination lawyers handle the full range.
- Discrimination in education. Schools that treat students differently based on race, sex, disability, religion, or national origin violate federal and Missouri civil rights law. We represent students at every level, from elementary through university.
- School harassment. Harassment by peers, teachers, or administrators can derail a child’s education. When a school fails to respond after a report, that failure often creates its own civil rights claim.
- Student protection. Children have constitutional rights at school, including protections around speech, association, due process, and freedom from unreasonable searches. We pursue claims when schools cross those lines.
- Student sexual assault. Schools and universities must respond promptly and meaningfully to reports of sexual violence. We represent survivors navigating Title IX proceedings and civil lawsuits.
- Sexual harassment. Unwanted comments, repeated advances, or a hostile educational environment can amount to actionable sexual harassment under Title IX and state law.
- Disability discrimination. We handle IDEA and Section 504 disputes, including IEP violations, denial of services, unlawful seclusion and restraint, and physical abuse of students with disabilities.
- Retaliation. When a school punishes a student or parent for complaining about discrimination, that retaliation is itself unlawful. Retaliation claims sometimes succeed even when the underlying discrimination claim falls short.
Missouri Legal Requirements for School Discrimination Cases
Several overlapping laws apply when a Missouri school discriminates against a student. Most cases involve a mix of federal civil rights statutes and state law.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in any school or program that receives federal funds. That covers nearly every public school district in Missouri, along with most colleges and universities.
Title IX bars sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs. It reaches sexual harassment, sexual violence, pregnancy discrimination, and unequal treatment in athletics, admissions, and discipline.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the IDEA together protect students with disabilities. Section 504 prohibits disability discrimination in any federally funded program. IDEA entitles eligible students to a free appropriate public education through an individualized education program.
Missouri’s own civil rights framework runs in parallel to federal statutes. The Missouri Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in public accommodations, which courts have applied to certain school settings. And Missouri’s anti-bullying statute requires every school district to adopt an anti-bullying policy, investigate reports, and train staff.
Understanding which statute fits your situation matters. It affects where you file, what damages you can recover, and how long you have to act.
Important Aspects of a Columbia School Discrimination Case
Title IX and Internal Grievance Procedures
Schools are required to have written procedures for handling discrimination complaints. When those procedures fall short, the failure often becomes part of the lawsuit. We’ve represented students in Title IX investigations and school discrimination disputes where the internal process was part of the problem. Engaging with the administrative process matters. Skipping it without counsel can hurt you later.
Preserving Evidence Early
Text messages disappear. Witnesses move. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. The first 30 days after an incident are often the most important. We work with families to preserve evidence, secure education records under FERPA, and file public records requests before the school has time to reshape the story.
Federal and State Claims
Many school discrimination cases combine federal and Missouri claims. Federal claims often offer broader damages and fee-shifting provisions. State claims sometimes provide shorter procedural paths. Picking the right combination, and the right forum, matters for both outcome and timeline.
Remedies and Damages
Depending on the claim, remedies can include policy changes, reinstatement, removal of disciplinary records, compensatory damages for emotional distress, and attorney fees. Punitive damages are available in some federal claims against school employees who acted with malice or reckless indifference to a student’s rights.
Deadlines and Administrative Prerequisites
School discrimination claims come with strict filing windows. Some statutes require you to file an administrative complaint before going to court. Others start a short statute of limitations the moment the discrimination occurs. Missing one of those deadlines can end a strong case before it starts.
Contact TGH Litigation
If your child has been discriminated against, retaliated against, or punished through an unfair disciplinary process, we want to hear what happened.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a Columbia school discrimination attorney. We respond to new inquiries promptly and will walk through what next steps could look like, whether that’s an administrative complaint, a Title IX response, a negotiated resolution, or a civil lawsuit. Your first conversation with our firm costs nothing, and there’s no pressure to move forward until you’re ready.