School Expert Witnesses

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, student safety, bullying, 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 and a licensed marriage and family therapist. 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, and custody reviews and evaluations.

Laguna Niguel, California

Child Abuse, School Safety - child sexual abuse, sexual assault, molestation, grooming, sexual misconduct, educator misconduct, Title IX sexual harassment, child sexual abuse prevention, best practices, boundary violations, boundary policies, mandated reporter, failure to report, school, after school, sports, reporting, youth-serving organizations, YSOs

I am an expert in child sexual abuse prevention, response, and reporting in youth-serving organizations. While organizations may not be able to stop every case of child sexual abuse within their programs, there are best practices that when followed, significantly lower the risk of abuse occurring and minimize delays in reporting. I can help by: • Identifying and evaluating valuable discovery materials including an organization’s policies, practices, documentation, and training • Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your case by comparing those organizational materials to best practices to identify the gaps • Differentiating the failure of individual mandated reporters versus organizational failures based on that gap analysis and case materials • Identifying grooming behaviors that are cause for reasonable suspicion and reporting • Supplying best practices and relevant research to substantiate my opinion as it relates to your case • Educating the judge and jurors on grooming ...

Jurupa Valley, California

School Safety, Education & Schools - K-12 School Safety, K-12 School Security, K-12 School Emergency Preparedness, K-12 School Risk Management, K-12 School Law Enforcement, School Standard of Care, School Security Guards, Student Supervision Cases, Student Assault Cases, K-12 Physical Security Cases, School Lawsuit Analysis, School Lawsuit Evaluation

Stephen Bucheli Bayne, Ed.D. is a highly experienced K–12 school safety and risk management expert with over 37 years of direct, real-world K-12 public education experience spanning school law enforcement, school risk management, school emergency preparedness, and campus safety operations. For more than two decades (2005-2026), Dr. Bayne operated at the intersection of school operations and civil litigation, overseeing tort liability claims, coordinating defense strategy with legal counsel, and evaluating matters involving negligent supervision, negligent retention, negligent training, and standard of care in K–12 environments. His work played a direct role in shaping litigation strategy, guiding settlement decisions, and strengthening risk mitigation practices within public schools. Dr. Bayne’s expertise was distinguished by his hands-on operational background. In 1989, he began his career in school policing, serving in progressive leadership roles from police officer to police c...

Oxford, Mississippi

School Safety, Child Abuse - sex abuse, child sexual abuse, molestation, grooming, harassment, bullying, school, church, camp, bus, afterschool, sports, olympic, mentor, scouting, coach, background check, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, negligent retention

Expert Witness At-a-Glance: • 85+ cases retained (2016–2025) • 23 depositions | 2 trials • Balanced practice: 60% plaintiff / 40% defense • Case focus: Child sexual abuse (95%); injury, death or bullying (5%) • Sectors: Religious (35%), Schools (25%), Sports (20%), Mentoring (10%), Residential care (7%) • Courts: Federal (21%) and State/Local (79%) across 20+ jurisdictions Mr. Nichols has over 30 years' experience at the national and local level involving the protection of children. In 2016 he retired as the National Vice President of Child & Club Safety, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where he oversaw the creation of the organization's child protection program, which shaped the policies and practices of thousands of local Boys & Girls Club affiliates and helped to protect millions of children across the U.S. and overseas. Mr. Nichols is a national thought leader and has participated in numerous, national-level projects to prevent child injury in organizations, including: • U.S. P...

Buffalo, New York

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, student safety, bullying, 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...

New Castle, Pennsylvania

Brain Injury Medicine, Education & Schools - Pediatric brain injury, child injury, acquired brain injury, TBI, mold, traumatic brain injury, concussion, MVA, carbon monoxide, lead poisoning, near drowning, MVC, brain, school, mild TBI, transition, child, special education, young adult, college

I am highly specialized in a niche area of education & transition to adulthood following child, teen, & young adult brain injury. Expert witness & brain injury case consultation. Three Decades of Experience. State director of an internationally recognized Brain Injury program for children, teens, and young adults for the last 18 years. I received my Doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, specializing in Mind, Brain, & Teaching. I provide expert opinions regarding pre- and post-brain injury changes, what to expect in the future, and recommendations for support and services into adulthood. I am the full-time director of a statewide program supporting all children who sustain a brain injury and return to school. I have held this position since the program's inception in 2007. My background is in special education (all ages), neurodevelopment, brain injury in individuals ages birth to young adulthood, and post-high school transition support and services. I investigate brain injur...