Legal Support Program

The AASA in-dues professional liability plan is the solution to uncertain or inadequate liability coverage. You'll have peace of mind knowing that if your school district doesn't have sufficient coverage or refuses to defend you, your back-up plan is in place. Your association's affiliation with the Trust for Insuring Educators (TIE) makes this valuable member benefit possible.

What's Covered?

Your in-dues plan pays up to $1 million for damages arising from professional liability and employment liability lawsuits, such as:

• Injuries to students under your supervision
• Improper placement of students
• Hiring unqualified people
• Defamation
• Failure to educate, promote or grant credit to a student
• Violation of student civil rights
• Improper methods employed in instruction, counseling, research design, etc.
• Improper reassignment, demotion or termination of an employee
• Violation of an employee's civil rights

Plan pays defense costs in addition to the liability limit for professional liability lawsuits.

After a $100 deductible, the plan also pays 90 percent of your attorney's fees if you:

• Are sued by an employee you supervise regarding a covered personnel matter ($25,000 per claim, per policy period)
• Are accused of sexual misconduct, provided you are found not guilty or the charges are dismissed ($25,000 per claim, per policy period)
• Face criminal charges arising out of corporal punishment, provided you are found not guilty or the charges are dismissed ($25,000 per claim, per period).

In-Dues Professional Liability Upgrades

AASA members may purchase one of the following upgrades to their in-dues plan:

To be eligible for the optional part-time coverage, the following requirements must be met:

• Your primary employment must be with an educational organization.
• Your part-time or secondary job must be educational and not medically related, and must fall within the same underwriting guidelines as your main occupation.
• You must receive payment for the activities.

If you are subject to a job-related due-process proceeding, AASA's Legal Support Program* will reimburse up to $2,000 of legal expenses for each year of continuous membership, to a maximum of $20,000 (subject to a $500 deductible per claim).

Beginning in July 2011, a new endorsement was added to the AASA policy expanding the coverage of the AASA Legal Support Program. Now for claims incurred in due process and job protection proceedings the new definition of defense expense has been established. Defense Expense shall now cover the investigation, negotiation, arbitration, settlement or defense.

Eligibility

• You must be a member (AASA members in the Active Membership and Small School District categories) in good standing of AASA, a W-2 employee of a school, college or university, and the job must be your main occupation.
• School board members and owners of private schools are not eligible.
• If you are an educator in private practice or an independent contractor, you are not eligible for this program. You can contact the Forrest T. Jones & Co., at (800) 821-7303(800) 821-7303, ext. 1266 for information about professional liability plans for which you may be eligible.

Effective Date

• The plan becomes effective the date your membership is accepted by AASA and continues as long as you remain an AASA member (AASA members in the Active Membership and Small School District categories) in good standing and AASA continues to offer this professional liability plan as an in-dues member benefit.
• You are protected against claims arising from an act or omission committed by you during the policy period or subsequent to the retroactive coverage date, as long as the claim is first made against you and reported to us in writing by you during the policy period or any applicable discovery period.

Limitations

This plan is available to members residing in the United States and the District of Columbia.

Other Insurance

The insurance provided by AASA's in-dues professional liability plan is excess of any other valid and collectible insurance or indemnity you might have with regard to the claim, including coverage provided by your school district and/or school board.

*AASA members in the Active Membership and Small School District categories