Education & Schools Expert Witnesses in Texas

Education & Schools, School Safety - Standard of Care, Student & Staff Supervision, School Safety & Security, Playground Safety, Mandated Reporting, General & Special Education, IDEA / IEPs - Disabilities, Discipline Policies & Justice, Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Human Resources, Wrongful Termination, Staff Dev'l & Trainings, Board Policies & Regulations

Introduction Dr. Jon D. Sand brings more than 35 years of direct pre-K–12 experience to his work as an independent educational expert and consultant. He earned his Doctor of Education in K-12 Educational Leadership from USC, a Master of Science in Special Education from California Lutheran University, and a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA. He holds the full complement of teaching and administrative credentials for his field and advanced certifications in district operations. His expertise spans general and special education; due process; special needs eligibility and case management; human resources; school site safety and student supervision; personnel evaluation; and district governance and operations. Dr. Sand is recognized for his depth in curriculum, instruction, and assessment and for an exemplary record at every level of the profession. He has served with distinction as a classroom teacher—selected as a National Teacher of the Year by the Amgen Foundation – master and mentor teach...

Education & Schools, Child Abuse - school, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, child, student, Title IX, Title 9, mandatory reporting, school liability, student sexual abuse, standard of care, sexual misconduct, grooming, standard of care, duty, sex discrimination, child sexual abuse, defense expert, plaintiff expert, negligant hiring

20+ years as Professor and Director of an Educational Leadership Ph.D./Ed.D. Program. Experienced expert. Multi-award-winning teacher. Expert on state and federal mandates in hiring, supervision, retention, and prevention of educator sexual misconduct directed toward students in schools and other settings. Retained nationwide by plaintiffs and defendants on numerous abuse claims from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and through the present. For over two decades, taught doctoral and master’s degree students (who were K-12 superintendents, principals, teachers, coaches, counselors, and leaders of youth-serving organizations) to assess their operations, policies, and procedures in relation to mandatory reporting, federal law, other statutes, and best practices in student sexual abuse prevention. Taught Title IX (including statutes, regulations, and administrative guidelines), monitored Title IX program compliance, and was appointed by D'Youville University as a Title IX Task Force Member. W...

Psychology, Education & Schools - Autism, PTSD, ADHD, Assistive Technology, IEP, Individualized Education Plan, Due Process, Special Education, Psychoeducational Assessment, Neurodivergence, Abuse, Trauma, Custody, LGBTQIA+, LGBTQ, Parental Alienation, Education, Parenting

Dr. Adam Bruno is a licensed educational psychologist in California and a licensed marriage and family therapist in California and Nevada. He has been working in the mental health field since 2006. Dr. Bruno specializes in the evaluation and treatment of both children and adults with autism, ADHD, trauma, intellectual disability, parental alienation, and other psychological disorders. Dr. Bruno currently has a private practice in Los Angeles where he provides services to children and adults online and in his office. He also provides services to children in schools. Dr. Bruno has given multiple trainings on disabilities, the IEP process, and provision of services to both providers and parents of children with disabilities. He is currently on the advisory board at Special Needs Network. As an expert witness, Dr. Bruno has multiple areas of expertise and has taken cases in multiple states. He is able to work both virtually and in person, and can conduct psychological, educational, an...

Dallas, Texas

Education & Schools - Title IX, Title VI, Section 504/Title II of the ADA, Special Education and Disability Law, student athletics, athletics equity, NCAA compliance, sex and racial discrimination and harassment, general civil rights compliance, student data privacy, safety and security, general school administration (k-12), First Amendment

Jackie Gharapour Wernz is an expert in the fields of school administration and school compliance with the requirements of Federal civil rights laws. She has over 15 years of experience working with elementary and secondary K-12 public and private/independent schools, including charter schools, and colleges, community colleges, and universities and can serve as an expert in the areas of: peer harassment, including harassment under Title VII (discrimination in employment); Title IX (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity), Title VI (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, color, and national origin), and Section 504/Title II of the ADA (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on disability); hazing; bullying; educator sexual misconduct; educator sexual abuse; transgender issues; Greek organizations; steps a school should take to create a safe environment free from discrimination, harassment, an...

Fort Worth, Texas

Education & Schools, School Safety - School Standards of Practice, Special Education, School Safety, Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Behavior and Discipline, School Mental Health, Title IX and Staff Sexual Misconduct, District and School Administration, Restraint and Seclusion, Evaluation, Assessment, Disability, and Risk Management

Dr. Michael Salitore is an experienced K–12 education leader, school psychologist, investigator, and policy analyst with more than two decades of work in public education, district administration, compliance, and school safety since 2003. He has served as a school psychologist, building administrator, special education administrator, director of student services in rural and urban districts, an adjunct faculty member at Portland State University, and coordinator of a state education agency investigation unit that responds to reports of sexual misconduct by school staff. He is a licensed private investigator and holds the Certified Praesidium Guardian credential, reflecting advanced training in organizational abuse prevention and specialized competence in the policies, supervision, screening, training, reporting, and environmental safeguards that inform K–12 standards of care for student safety. His background and expertise allow evaluation of and opinions regarding school and dist...

San Antonio, Texas

Education & Schools, School Safety - De-escalation, Physical Intervention, Bullying, Special Education, Restraint, Conflict Resolution

A native Oregonian, I served in schools there for 37 years as a teacher, coach, HS Principal, Special Education Director and Superintendent prior to retiring from educational leadership in 2015. Subsequently, I worked for another 7 years as a Risk Management Specialist in the insurance industry. My principal duty during that time was conducting 25-30 Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) de-escalation/physical intervention trainings annually, for Oregon school districts statewide. The primary focus of these trainings was nonviolent crisis intervention with severely emotionally disabled students. Most of the sessions ran for one or two full days in length. I am currently serving as an Expert Witness in a legal case involving the physical restraint of a student, or lack thereof, engaged in self-injurious behaviors.