Minimizing legal risks to its clients is an important focus of Tueth Keeney. To minimize a client’s legal risks, Tueth Keeney attorneys often present in-services for its clients. On November 10, 2006 and January 12, 2007, firm attorneys Margaret Hesse, Shane Jones and Merry Rhoades presented to the staff of Carlinville Community Unit School District about safeguarding confidential student information and the 2004 changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Merry C. Rhoades is a Shareholder in the law firm of Tueth, Keeney, Cooper, Mohan & Jackstadt, P.C. A graduate of the DePaul University College of Law and MacMurray College, Ms. Rhoades focuses her practice on general counsel services with an emphasis on special education law and student-related issues, school district reorganization matters and tax and finance matters. Ms. Rhoades also has extensive experience in civil rights litigation, special education administrative hearings, state and federal court litigation at the trial and appellate levels, and state administrative hearings. She is a member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys Executive Committee and currently serves as its 2nd Vice Chairperson. Ms. Rhoades also participates in the Illinois Council of School Attorneys’ special education concerns committee. She is also a speaker for school related organizations including the Illinois Association of School Boards and the Illinois Association of School Administrators. She also serves as an Illinois Association of School Boards PRESS advisory committee member.

D. Shane Jones practices in the areas of labor and employment law, education law, and litigation. He routinely advises and represents employers in wage and hour matters, in the design and review of employee handbooks, and disciplining and terminating employees. Shane has also successfully defended employers against discrimination claims, First Amendment claims, Due Process claims, and other constitutional issues, in both state and federal courts. Shane is a co-author of the Employment Law section of the Missouri Bar School Law Desk Book, the principal treatise on school law for Missouri’s lawyers.

Shane is also experienced in crafting proposals and counter-proposals for negotiations, and in effectively presenting the employer’s position at the collective bargaining table. He has directly negotiated, or participated significantly behind the scenes, in the negotiation of dozens of collective bargaining agreements and contracts under Federal and State labor laws. Shane has been a Tueth Keeney shareholder since January, 2003.

Margaret A. Hesse primarily practices in the areas of education law, employment law and litigation. She has represented school districts in employment matters, including Title VII, the Safe Schools Act, Title IX, and the Equal Pay Act. She has represented employers in labor matters before the United States Department of Labor/Wage and Hour Division and the Illinois Commission of Human Rights.

Tueth Keeney has one of the largest and most successful education law groups in the country. The Firm regularly serves the legal counsel needs of approximately 150 school districts throughout Missouri and many districts in Central and Southern Illinois. Our education attorneys have broad experience in every important area of education law, including human resources, teacher termination and discipline, teacher tenure, student rights and responsibilities, special education, school finance, the No Child Left Behind Act, construction, architecture, real estate, contracting and leasing, open meetings and records, policy development, vocational education, elections, tort issues, insurance, and general educational issues. We also have extensive experience in resolving disputes between school districts and parents of disabled students under both IDEA and Section 504 in both Missouri and Illinois. Our special education experience spans the spectrum from basic administrative proceedings through complex litigation.