The RSU 52/MSAD 52 school board on Tuesday confirmed it had been included in a multi-district legal action tied to the district’s policy aligning with Title IX and the Maine Human Rights Act.

Board Chair (unnamed) opened the discussion by telling members the district had been served and that administrative and insurance conversations were underway. The chair said the district’s policy was adopted with the intention of addressing athletic participation and said, “This is solely a sports team policy. This has nothing to do with bathrooms, nothing at all to do with locker rooms.”

Board member Anthony contested that reading and argued the policy language could be interpreted more broadly. Anthony said the executive order and related language are “not limited to sports,” and warned the district could face scrutiny from the Maine Human Rights Commission if the wording is left unchanged. He suggested the board consider joining other districts’ legal defenses or otherwise coordinating representation.

Administrators clarified insurance coverage and the timing implications of acknowledging service. The district has school-board-liability insurance with a $250,000 pool that, according to administration, would be split among the six districts named in the action; officials stressed that the $250,000 represents the total available across all named districts rather than an amount dedicated to any single district.

Board members discussed procedure: acknowledging service would start a 20-day response clock, and several members said officials were postponing formal acknowledgment until legal counsel is engaged so the district does not prematurely begin that timeline. The chair and administrators said the board will prioritize a public discussion in January to decide on legal representation and next steps.

The board did not take a formal vote on retaining counsel at the meeting; members said they expect a more detailed public discussion in January and will bring potential engagement letters and options to that meeting.