On June 6, the Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Bill 1191, which would bar athletes who were male at birth from playing in girls’ sports programs. In a 30-20 vote primarily split along party lines, proponents talked about safety and unfair competition issues, while those opposed framed the bill as an attack against transgender children. The action has left school officials in the state wondering … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania Senate Passes Bill to Bar Transgender Athletes from Girls’ Sports
School Law Bullet
Commonwealth Court Shields Disclosure of Right to Know Requests for Personal Contact Information
On May 26, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled that personal contact information contained in requests submitted under the Right-to-Know Law may be exempted from disclosure. In the unpublished decision, Markey v. Treasury Department, No. 759 C.D. 2021, the court explained that the law is not “a mechanism for an individual to access private or nonpublic information.” The Dispute Last April, … [Read more...] about Commonwealth Court Shields Disclosure of Right to Know Requests for Personal Contact Information
School Safety Requirements in Pennsylvania
In the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, school officials are once again hyperfocused on school safety. In Pennsylvania, Act 44 of 2018, enacted following the shooting at Parkland High School in Florida, established several school safety programs, notably the Safe2Say Something Program and mandatory safety training for school staff. Current … [Read more...] about School Safety Requirements in Pennsylvania
Will Changes to the 2020 Title IX Regulations Be Postponed?
While educational institutions are holding their collective breath, anticipating the Department of Education (DOE) releasing its promised Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) detailing amendments to the existing 2020 Title IX Regulations, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals may have thrown a proverbial “wrench” into that release. On February 7, 2022, the Fourth Circuit filed a petition for … [Read more...] about Will Changes to the 2020 Title IX Regulations Be Postponed?
Charter Rule Changes Would Imposes Stricter Standards in Pennsylvania
Last Monday, the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission passed rules proposed by Governor Wolf which would impose stricter regulatory standards upon Pennsylvania Charter Schools. Charter schools educate 170,000 students throughout the state-and that number is growing. There are 179 charter schools, including 14 cyber charter schools, operating in Pennsylvania. One-third of all … [Read more...] about Charter Rule Changes Would Imposes Stricter Standards in Pennsylvania
Do the Title IX Regulations Apply Retroactively?
Hmmmm. Well, the Preamble to the Final Rule says “no;” the 2020 Title IX Regulations are not retroactive for sexual harassment that occurred before the August 14, 2020 effective date of those Regulations. Department of Education (DOE) Q & A documents promulgated on September 4, 2020 and July 20, 2021 confirmed that the 2020 Regulations are not retroactive. But in October 2020, the federal … [Read more...] about Do the Title IX Regulations Apply Retroactively?
