Pro bono effort results in appellate win for Encinitas Union School District Yoga program

On Friday, April 3, 2015, Stutz Artiano’s appellate team successfully defended the Encinitas Union School District’s right to offer Yoga as an exercise option for its students.  Paul V. Carelli IV argued the case for the District defendants, and briefed the case with Jack M. Sleeth, Jr., Daniel R. Shinoff, and Allison Capozzoli. Read the full opinion HERE.

The Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One affirmed that the offering did not impinge on students’ religious rights under the California Constitution, rejecting a challenge from a local family to the District’s yoga program.  This case, defended pro bono by Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz, follows a long tradition of representing the best interests of the firm’s school district clients and those districts’ committed efforts to educate students.  “It is rewarding to be able to take a case like this because it affirms that the school district was doing the right thing,” said attorney Dan Shinoff.

When possible, the firm takes pro bono cases like these to help ensure that School Districts and others who educate our children are protected and able to do so in the ways that are most appropriate for the circumstances. “This is a very satisfying victory on behalf of the administrators, parents and most of all students in the Encinitas School District,” said co-counsel Jack Sleeth.  Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz represents more than 70 school districts across California as well as a variety of cities and other municipal agencies.