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District staff outline Title IX and nondiscrimination policy updates before handbook changes
Summary
Northwestern Lehigh administrators presented revised nondiscrimination and Title IX‑related policies, explained shifting federal guidance and described countywide coordination with neighboring districts and PSBA. The board will consider the policies at a future meeting.
District administrators briefed the board on a set of updated nondiscrimination and Title IX‑related policies during the workshop, explaining the federal rule changes and how the district plans to reflect those changes in handbooks and training.
The presenter said federal Title IX rules have changed multiple times and that local districts must interpret and implement evolving guidance. “The rules keep changing on us,” the staff presenter said, describing why the district paused earlier policy changes and later resumed updates when PSBA released recommended language.
Administrators described a set of policy changes recommended by PSBA and reviewed by the district solicitor. The packet includes revisions aligned to the 2020 Title IX framework and to state and federal laws, including updates to:
- Policy 103 (Discrimination/Harassment Affecting Students) — revised to reflect 2020 Title IX language and changes to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act; - Policy 103.1 (Nondiscrimination — Qualified Students With Disabilities) — clarified role of the Director of Student Services as 504 team administrator; - Policy 104 (Discrimination/Harassment — Staff) — updated to incorporate protections related to pregnancy and breastfeeding under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and to align with Fair Labor Standards Act guidance; and - Policy 234 (Pregnancy, Parenting, and Married Students) — updated definitions and alignment across policies.
Staff said the district has formed a Lehigh and Carbon County Title IX committee with neighboring districts to coordinate training and implementation and that multiple administrators will attend summer training sessions. The presenter also described the procedural requirements for Title IX investigations, including role assignments: a Title IX coordinator, an investigator and an appeals officer; staff said the district currently has four trained team members who can perform these roles as needed.
Board members asked where to find contact information and filing forms for Title IX complaints; the presenter said the district website will list the coordinator(s), complaint forms and contact points and that handbooks and the website will be updated. A board member requested a simple, one‑page summary of the Title IX complaint steps for families; the presenter agreed to consider a succinct procedural summary for handbooks and the website.
Administrators said they will return with final policy language for board action in the coming meeting cycle; the workshop did not adopt the policies.
