The Lewiston Public Schools school committee approved a set of revised harassment and discrimination policies at second reading Monday and voted to delete two older procedures that the new policies supersede.

District counsel and administrators explained the revisions update and consolidate procedures used to investigate allegations of harassment and discrimination, aligning local practice with Maine Human Rights Act and Title IX procedures the district followed prior to January 2024. The changes clarify complaint intake, investigation steps and roles for the district’s Title IX officer.

Darby Ray, a Lewiston resident and parent, spoke in favor of the amended policy during public comment, urging the committee to adopt the changes because they “offer helpful clarifications while maintaining vitally important protections for district staff and students.”

The committee had no significant amendments at second reading. A member asked whether the revisions pertained to other public controversies; the superintendent and counsel clarified that the policies focus on harassment and discrimination procedures and do not change policy on unrelated topics such as extracurricular participation.

The motion to approve the second reading passed unanimously. The committee then approved the deletion of the two older procedures that the adopted policies replace, also by unanimous vote.