Federal Laws Addressing Liability

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The Paul D. Coverdell Teacher Protection Act of 2001

The Paul D. Coverdell Teacher Protection Act of 2001 (named after the late Democratic Senator from Georgia who had introduced the Act in a prior Congress) was included in the "No Child Left Behind" education bill, Pub. L. No 107-110, signed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The Teacher Protection Act amendment to the broader education reform bill had passed the House of Representatives by a wide margin and received 98 votes in the Senate. The Act states that if teachers and principals followed school rules, they will not be subject to liability. It also states that tough standards should be applied before punitive damages are allowed, and that teachers and principals should be liable only for their "fair share" of fault for a harm and not for injuries caused by others.