Hartford coverage targets private schools

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. has launched Educators Professional Choice, a customizable package of management and professional liability insurance products designed for private schools, colleges and universities.

Educators Professional Choice offers three separate, optional coverages, and schools can set individual limits, retentions and retroactive dates for each, the insurer said Monday in a statement.

The package includes employment practices liability insurance with optional coverage for allegations involving third parties, including volunteers, consultants and vendors, and optional defense coverage for wage-and-hour violations, according to the statement.

The package also includes errors and omissions insurance for allegations related to the rendering of or failure to render educational services, and directors, officers and entity coverage, Hartford said.

“Protecting a school’s reputation and finances is critical to its ability to attract students and donors,” Melissa Zaparanick, assistant vice president and head of Hartford’s industry practices, said in the statement. “In today’s litigious environment, schools face potential liability related to their employment practices, educational services and management oversight. These exposures can vary widely from school to school, so they need coverage that can be tailored to fit their specific circumstances.”