Contact

Megan Mitchell, Esq.

megan@education-rights.com

MEGAN MITCHELL, ESQ.

Megan practices statewide in Michigan and focuses her practice on student and educator rights with an interest in special education and Title IX cases. Before joining Abdnour Weiker, Megan worked as a public defender in Colorado and Alaska. During her 4.5 years as a public defender Megan gained experience in criminal, civil, child in need of aid and guardianship law. Her work as a child in need of aid attorney imbued in her a passion for working with children in systems where they are often overlooked and disregarded. Megan joined AW to be a strong voice for those who are unheard in Michigan’s education system.

Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, Megan is a proud Michigander. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Individualized Study with a Concentration in Feminist Theory from New York University in 2016 and earned a Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 2019. After spending time practicing law in Colorado and Alaska, she has returned home to Michigan for good.

Outside of practicing law, Megan enjoys writing, dungeons and dragons, playing guitar and going to the gym. She is the proud owner of her dog, Tonks and her cat, Catticus Finch. She also enjoys spending time with her two nephews, Ayden and Carter.

Education

  • B.A. in Individualized Study with Concentration in Feminist Theory New York University 2016

  • J.D. Vanderbilt University 2019

Bar Admissions

  • 2019 Colorado;

  • 2021 Alaska;

  • 2023 U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska;

  • 2024 Michigan

Practice Areas

  • School Law, Student Rights, Educator Rights, Criminal and Juvenile Defense, Civil Litigation, Title IX

Affiliations

  • Member, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA)

  • Member, Defenders Union of Colorado (DUC)

  • Member, Alaska Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (AKACDL)

Presentations + Trainings

  • Co-Presenter, Progress Reports & Data-Driven Goals, AW Student Rights Conference, July 2024

  • Co-Presenter, Beyond K-12: Transition & Post-Graduation Planning, AW Student Rights Conference, July 2024

  • Co-Presenter, Swipe Right: Legal Insights for Parents in the World of Sexting + Social Media, AW Student Rights Conference, July 2024

Recent Representative Cases for Megan Mitchell

  • Negotiated changes to a student's IEP that allowed for the student to continue on a reduced day schedule to receive their necessary services.

  • Successfully secured a path for re-entry into high school for a student falsely accused of a hate crime who had initially been expelled.

  • Advocated for a high school student with a disability that was up for a disciplinary hearing, whose district had improperly found that the alleged conduct was not a manifestation of their disability.

  • Arranged grade corrections for a local student whose 504 Plan was not honored and whose teachers had not accepted late work.

  • Drafted and filed a FOIA Complaint in the Michigan Court of Claims to assist a student with obtaining the names of university employees with more than one allegation made to the Office of Institutional Equity but no finding of misconduct.

  • Successfully avoided expulsion for a student accused of making threats against their school and defended the student in front of the school board.

  • Successfully negotiated a settlement in an employment discrimination case with a $20,000 payout for the client.

  • Drafted and filed an USDOE Office for Civil Rights complaint against a local school district for multiple Title IX violations as it relates to a series of on-campus sexual assaults.

  • Prepared various pretrial motions for a federal Title IX lawsuit.

  • Prepared a complaint and demand letter against a local university for First Amendment violations and unlawful retaliation against a professor.

  • Drafted a state complaint against a local university on behalf of a professor who has experienced anti-semitic discrimination by university staff and administration.

  • Prepared a complaint on behalf an internationally-renowned art professor against a local university for gender and age discrimination under Title IX.

  • Successfully negotiated a short-term suspension for a student who had been recommended for expulsion by their district for allegations of bringing a "weapon" to school.

  • Secured behavioral supports and social work access for a student on an IEP who is serving a long-term suspension and attending school virtually.

  • Advocated on behalf of a student with a disability who had been suspended for 49 days without a Manifestation Determination Review or disciplinary hearing.

  • Assisted a local university medical student with drafting a statement for a dismissal hearing and filing an OIE complaint for ADA violations and failure to honor academic accommodations.

  • Drafted and filed an OCR complaint on behalf of a local college student who was denied appropriate disability accommodations during their final exam.

  • Successfully argued for retention of a disabled student who was facing permanent expulsion due to behaviors that arose because of bullying by other students based on the student's disability.

  • Drafted a state complaint for a special education student who struggles with toileting, and whose school district has been sending him home in saturated diapers every day.

  • Successfully negotiated a resolution to a due process hearing that was scheduled before an ALJ with regard to a disciplinary matter for a special ed student. Negotiated terms that took a client from permanent expulsion to a suspension through the end of this semester.

  • Filed an OCR complaint for a university student who was denied disability accommodations on their clinical exams.

  • Successfully obtained a juvenile diversion for a student facing assault charges following an altercation with another student at school.

  • Successfully mediated a resolution to a state complaint on behalf of parents of a child with toileting needs that were not being correctly addressed by the district, reaching a resolution that included all of the proposed elements the clients sought in filing the complaint.

  • Successfully received a determination in favor of manifestation at an MDR for a child with autism who had been accused of a Title IX violation.

  • Assisted parents of a child who was being targeted and bullied by their coach, and whose complaint the athletic director had covered up, to bring the issue to a school board meeting and demand an independent investigation.

  • Successfully obtained re-admittance to a local university nursing program for a student who had been wrongfully dismissed due to an alleged code of conduct violation.

*The results shown are not necessarily indicative of the results that could be expected in any other matter, as the circumstances of each case are unique and involve multiple factors to consider along with possible outcomes.