The Richmond school board voted Thursday to keep the district’s transgender policy in place despite a lawsuit from the Maine Human Rights Commission.
Richmond’s policy states that students must use the restroom, locker room, and play on the sports team that aligns with their biological sex.
School board member Russell Hughes said he is concerned about the cost to fight the lawsuit but believes it is a matter of principle.
“Until about a year ago, everybody knew federal law superseded state law, and somehow that doesn’t apply anymore. I think our policy as written now is on the right side of the law. It’s the right side of history, it’s the right side of public opinion, and it’s on the right side of morality,” Hughes said.
Three board members voted in favor of the policy while two voted against, citing concerns about the cost of litigation and the public pushback against it.
The board also voted to enter into an agreement with Steve Smith Trial Lawyers to represent the district to litigate the complaint.
Parent Sam Knight said an issue of unsettled law will take up a lot of district resources and should not be the school board’s priority.
“We separated from the RSU so we could have local control, if our idea of local control is taking outside influence, taking poorly written policy that invites lawsuit, that’s just reckless,” Knight said.
Other Richmond residents, teachers and students also spoke out against the policy at the meeting citing the cost of litigation as their main concern.
Richmond is one of six districts named in the Maine Human Rights Commission lawsuit. MSAD 52, which includes the towns of Greene, Leeds, and Turner also discussed the lawsuit at their school board meeting Thursday and decided to hold off on hiring legal representation until the new year.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
