ProfNet Experts Available on Transitioning Students, Whistleblowing, Legal vs. Moral Duties, More

NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing. To receive these updates by email, send a note to [email protected] with the industries you cover, and we'll add you to the appropriate edition. 

If you are in need of additional experts, you can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network. You can filter your request by institution type and geographic location to get the most targeted responses. The best part? It's free! Just fill out the query form to get started.

If you have any questions or need assistance with any aspect of ProfNet, please drop us a note at [email protected].

EXPERT ALERTS

• The Need to Regulate the Parasailing Industry
• Kountze Ruling Lacks Clarification
• DUI Investigation Leads Back to Nightclub
• Are Bar Patrons Their Brothers' Keepers?
• The Impact of Detroit's Bankruptcy
• Blowing the Whistle
• How Parents and Educators Can Support Students

MEDIA JOBS

• Staff Writer – The Flume (CO)
• Sports Copy Editor – The Lima News (OH)
• Copy Editor – Bauer Publishing (NJ)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Media 411: Get to Know the NLGJA
• Grammar Hammer: That Which Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger
• Anatomy of a Perfect Pitch: Reporters Share Query Responses That Hit the Mark

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Have you gotten a great source from ProfNet? Do you want to see your picture on the big screen in Times Square? Share your ProfNet success stories and you just might. All you have to do is "like" our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ProfNetOnFB) and leave a post on our wall sharing with us your best ProfNet success story (make sure to include a link to the article!). Each month, we'll select our favorite success story, and that person will get his/her picture posted in the heart of New York City: the Reuters sign in Times Square. More info here: http://bit.ly/ZUlnUC

EXPERT ALERTS:

The Need to Regulate the Parasailing Industry
Michael S. Steinger
Personal Injury Attorney
Steinger, Iscoe & Greene
In the aftermath of a July 2013 parasailing accident in Panama City Beach, Fla., we are reminded of the need to regulate the parasailing industry in the Sunshine State. It is vital to have oversight of parasailing operators and mandate insurance coverage in the event of injuries. Not only would beach-goers benefit from tighter regulations, but injury victims (and their families in the event of death) would benefit knowing that an insurance policy would cover costs of rehab and/or funeral/lost income. Insurance companies are notorious for acting in bad faith (delaying, undervaluing or denying legitimate claims) and personal injury lawyers might be necessary to compel insurance companies to act in good faith as the law requires.
Steinger is a founding partner of Steinger, Iscoe & Greene. Steinger has a history of handling thousands of Florida accident cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients. He has earned a membership into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He was recently interviewed on a local TV station during the George Zimmerman trial.
Website: http://www.injurylawyers.com
Media Contact: Denae Olberding, [email protected]

Kountze Ruling Lacks Clarification
Tom Brandt
Attorney
Fanning Harper Martinson Brandt & Kutchin, P.C., Dallas
"A ruling issued this past spring may have cleared the way for Kountze ISD cheerleaders to display bible-based messages on banners during the upcoming football season, but key legal points related to the case are still to be decided. Just weeks before the scheduled start of trial, Judge Steve Thomas ruled in a May 8 summary judgment that the controversial signs were constitutional, clearing the school district from having to prohibit the banners. While the district was pleased the judge ruled that it was not required to prohibit these signs, what the ruling leaves unanswered is if a district is required to permit this type of message, or if there is discretion on deciding what is appropriate. As written, the judgment is open to interpretation. For Kountze ISD, there is a real need to clarify what it is required to permit as opposed to what it is allowed to permit so that it can move forward with confidence." Brandt represents Kountze ISD in the ongoing litigation.
Media Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected] 

DUI Investigation Leads Back to Nightclub
Steven C. Laird
Attorney
Law Offices of Steven C. Laird, Fort Worth, Texas
"A Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission investigation of the club where former Dallas Cowboy Josh Brent was drinking in the hours before the wreck that killed his teammate shows that the legal fallout from drunken driving crashes doesn't stop with the intoxicated driver. The TABC says the private club which allegedly over-served Brent the night of the fatal car crash engaged in practices that promote excessive alcohol consumption by patrons. The police investigation showed that Brent's blood alcohol level was 0.18, more than twice the level considered unsafe for driving. While Brent faces jail time for allegedly killing his best friend in the crash, the owners of the club face not only having their liquor permits cancelled but also costly civil litigation for allegedly serving customers when they were already intoxicated."
Media Contact: Dave Moore, [email protected]

Are Bar Patrons Their Brothers' Keepers?
Scott Callahan
Personal Injury Lawyer
Law Office of Scott P. Callahan, P.C., Houston
"Questions are being raised about holding customers to the same legal duty as bar owners after an arrest warrant was issued this week for a Texas man accused of giving drinks to another customer who later was involved in a fatal drunk-driving wreck. It seems unlikely that ordinary people will be held to such a high standard in civil cases as 'social host liability' in the homes of those serving alcohol has been widely rejected in Texas unless minors are involved. Dram shop laws hold negligent restaurants, bars and clubs accountable. The question now becomes whether a customer drinking at a bar owes a legal duty to a friend, acquaintance, or even a complete stranger with whom they have one or more drinks. That seems unlikely. This tragedy involves a battle between legal duties and moral duties."
Media Contact: Kit Frieden, [email protected]

The Impact of Detroit's Bankruptcy
Ira Herman
Attorney
Thompson & Knight, New York
"There have been fewer than 500 municipal bankruptcies filed since the 1930s, when changes to federal law first allowed cities to seek bankruptcy protection. Now that Detroit has filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, elected officials, labor leaders, municipal bond market participants and legal experts across the nation are focused on the Motor City. While other cities face economic pressures, the level of Detroit's debt relative to its operating leverage is probably greater than in any other city. Detroit's bankruptcy most assuredly will be precedent-setting. The key economic and legal question is to what extent a Chapter 9 bankruptcy filed under federal law can be used to modify a city's obligations to its workforce, retirees and municipal bondholders, despite state laws guaranteeing payment of these obligations."
Media Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected]

Blowing the Whistle
Michael Stockham
Attorney
Thompson & Knight, Dallas
"Employees who report suspected corporate wrongdoing are not automatically safe from employer retaliation under federal whistle-blower laws, according to a recent federal ruling. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that only those who file complaints directly with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), rather than through internal channels, should expect federal protections under the Dodd-Frank Act. This decision creates some uncertainty for whistle-blowers, but won't change the significant risks that companies already face from whistle-blowers. This may lead to an uptick in complaints being made directly to the SEC as employees bypass corporate compliance channels and go first to the SEC to assure their place in line for financial recoveries and protections against being fired or disciplined. The court's decision is based on the plain text of the statute, so it may well be adopted by other appellate courts."
Media Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected]

How Parents and Educators Can Support Students
Joshua Smith, Ph.D.
Dean
Loyola University Maryland School of Education
"The school year is fast approaching, and for many students who are transitioning to a new school this fall the next few weeks will be filled with anticipation and anxiety. Gone unaddressed, these feelings of uncertainty could adversely affect a student's performance in the classroom. Transition is receiving increased attention because ninth grade course failures and high school dropout rates exceed all other grade levels; but transition issues are prevalent at all grade levels and into college. To stem this trend, it's critical for schools to ramp up transition programming and for parents to recognize they, too, must play a central support role."
Dr. Smith, an expert in educational transition and program evaluation, is available to discuss innovative ways parents and schools can support students during a transition to a new school. He is located in Baltimore, MD.
Bio: http://www.loyola.edu/soe/faculty/smith.aspx
Twitter: @NACADAJosh
Media Contact: Nick Alexopulos, [email protected]

MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: http://bit.ly/pncjobboard

• Staff Writer – The Flume (CO)
• Sports Copy Editor – The Lima News (OH)
• Copy Editor – Bauer Publishing (NJ)

See more listings here.

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

• MEDIA 411: GET TO KNOW THE NLGJA. If you've never heard of The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, then read on to find out more about this media association which has been around since 1990. http://bit.ly/16A477G
• GRAMMAR HAMMER: THAT WHICH DOES NOT KILL US MAKES US STRONGER. Nietzsche's famous quote served as the lead-in for this week's topic – when to use that vs. which. Cathy Spicer, aka The Grammar Hammer, helps us decide *which* one to use: http://bit.ly/1cR1eUC
• ANATOMY OF A PERFECT PITCH: REPORTERS SHARE QUERY RESPONSES THAT HIT THE MARK. One of the most common questions we hear from ProfNet members is: What's the best way to respond to a ProfNet query? We decided to go right to the source and ask reporters for some examples of the best query responses they've received: http://bit.ly/14Azh2R

PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To submit a request for experts: http://bit.ly/findexperts.  To search the ProfNet Connect experts database: http://www.profnetconnect.com.  To contact ProfNet by phone: +1-800-PROFNET, ext. 1.  To share a thought on Expert Alerts: [email protected].

SOURCE ProfNet