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RSU 10 board adopts revised nondiscrimination, harassment policies after heated debate over gender identity
Summary
The Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 board voted to adopt revised versions of policies AC, ACAA and ACAB, keeping gender identity among protected characteristics after extended public comment and board debate.
The Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 board voted to adopt revised versions of policy AC (nondiscrimination), policy ACAA (harassment and sexual harassment of students) and policy ACAB (harassment of employees) during its June meeting, retaining gender identity in the lists of protected characteristics.
Board members and public commenters framed the vote as balancing compliance with Maine law and federal protections. The board approved the revisions after an amendment to add age and genetic information to AC passed; later votes on the three revised policies carried.
Board member Bonnie (motion maker for the readings) presented the amendments and offered a grammatical fix; Darcy (board member) and other board members raised legal concerns and laid out hypothetical scenarios they said could arise under the revised language. Darcy spoke at length opposing the policies and said, “Therefore, I want everyone in our school district to know that I am opposing these policies, AC, ACAA, and ACAB,” tying her opposition to concerns about student safety, privacy and Title IX liability.
Supporters, including members who had worked on the policy committee, emphasized adherence to the Maine Human Rights Act and MSBA sample language and said the district must maintain nondiscrimination protections for multiple groups. Board member Allison said the administration is responsible to enforce harassment rules across settings and defended the protections as not targeting any single group.
After discussion, the board voted to approve the revised AC (as amended), ACAA and ACAB; meeting minutes record the motions carried. The board also accepted an amendment to AC to explicitly include “age” and “genetic information” in the list of protected classes.
Board members and public speakers repeatedly referenced legal risk and enforcement: commenters cited the Maine Human Rights Act and Title IX, and some urged the board to seek written counsel about federal-state conflicts and private right of action under Title IX before implementation.
The board did not adopt additional procedural language during the meeting to reconcile potential conflicts between state and federal law, but several members asked administration and legal counsel for clarifying guidance going forward.
The revised policies will be incorporated into the RSU 10 policy manual and enforced by administration according to the district’s existing complaint and investigation processes.
Board members agreed the policy committee and legal counsel should continue to advise on implementation and possible training for staff and coaches.
Looking ahead, several board members asked for further legal clarity and for the administrative team to outline implementation steps and any staff training needed to reduce confusion about application in locker rooms, bathrooms and team sports.
