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A Pennsylvania law that makes it a crime to release information about teacher disciplinary complaints is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment, a federal judge has ruled. The law's confidentiality provision makes it a misdemeanor to disclose the existence of a state complaint or any information about it unless and until discipline is imposed. U.S. District Judge Karen S. Marston did not strike down the law itself in her Jan. 10 ruling. “The confidentiality provision exists to protect the reputation, privacy, and due process rights of educators” who are accused, and ultimately cleared, of wrongdoing, said Chris Lilienthal, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Pepper's misconduct complaint centers on a January 2023 email that school psychologist Julia Szarko sent to his school district account.

Persons: —, Jimmy Adams, he’s, Karen S, Marston, James Pepper, Pepper, “ weaponizing ”, Aaron Martin, Martin, ”, Chris Lilienthal, Jennifer Schorn, Julia Szarko, Szarko, Szarko —, Pepper's, she's, “ Dr, ” Pepper, “ Organizations: Pennsylvania Department of Education, National Association of State, Education, U.S, District, Central Bucks School District, Central Bucks, Department of, Pennsylvania State Education Association, Republican, of Education Locations: Pennsylvania, Bucks County, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s

☆ A school superintendent suddenly resigned after Democrats took over — and he's getting a $712,000 severance package
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Philadelphia-area superintendent resigned after Democrats won big in school board elections. The outgoing GOP-led board is giving him a nice send-off: a $7`12,000 severance deal. Central Bucks School District superintendent Abram Lucabaugh suddenly quit this week, just days after Democratic candidates won their elections to take control of the school board, according to the Bucks County Herald. she said, the Courier Times reported. One Democrat on the board said the new school board would be "revising" that policy soon, the Inquirer reported.

Persons: Abram Lucabaugh, —, Lucabaugh, Dana Hunter —, Hunter, Miriam Mahmud, It's, I've, didn't Organizations: GOP, Service, Central Bucks School, Democratic, Bucks County Herald, County Herald, Republicans, Bucks County Courier Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier Times, Inquirer Locations: Philadelphia, Bucks County, Bucks, Lucabaugh

☆ Conservatives Lose Steam in School Board Races as Liberals Mobilize
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Matt Barnum | Scott Calvert | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Democrats celebrated in Central Bucks, outside Philadelphia, after their five-candidate slate swept the race and Republicans lost their majority. Photo: Jason Nark/Associated PressConservative activists seeking to take over school boards around the country saw their momentum slow in this week’s elections after progressive groups organized rival campaigns targeting the normally sleepy local races. Over the past two years, conservative groups such as Moms for Liberty have flipped control of some school boards nationwide by critiquing what they saw as excessive Covid-19 precautions and left-wing teaching about race and gender. Rallying around the banner of parental rights, the groups have called for limits on what is taught in classrooms or offered in libraries and parental notification of students’ gender transitions among other changes.

Persons: Jason Nark Organizations: Republicans, Associated Press Conservative, Liberty Locations: Central Bucks, Philadelphia

This time, liberal and moderate candidates took control in high-profile races in conservative Iowa, and the swing states of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Pennsylvania saw a number of Democratic victories in school boards, particularly in districts that have recently seen GOP-led school boards adopt policies targeting transgender students, as well as reading materials and curriculum on LGBTQ+ history. Turn PA Blue, a partisan political organization, said Democrats gained control of at least seven school boards and gained ground in a half-dozen others in Pennsylvania, a swing state. In the Central Bucks School District north of Philadelphia, Democrats flipped three seats, ousting the incumbent school board president, and retained two others, giving the party majority control. School board politics have also become contentious in Virginia since 2021, when Republican Gov.

Persons: “, ” Randi Weingarten, Michael Geer, ”, ’, Bonnie Chang, Glenn Youngkin, Toni Morrison, Stephen Chbosky, Kirk Twigg, Mike Pence, Kim Reynolds, Brittania Morey, ___ Mulvihill, Matthew Barakat, John Hanna, Heather Hollingsworth Organizations: —, The American Federation of Teachers, Liberty, Associated Press, Conservative, PA Family Institute, Pennsylvania, Democratic, GOP, Central Bucks School District, Philadelphia Inquirer, Republicans, Turn Bucks, School, Republican Gov, Linn, Mar Community School District, Gov Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Virginia, York County, Philadelphia, Bucks County, Central Bucks, Spotsylvania County, Washington, D.C, Loudoun County, Cedar Rapids, Cherry Hill , New Jersey, Falls Church , Virginia, Topeka , Kansas, Mission , Kansas

☆ LGBT Issues Galvanize Democrats’ Push for School Board Control
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Scott Calvert | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Karen Smith, left, a Democrat running for re-election to the school board in the Central Bucks School District, spoke last month with Laura Sorenson, a teacher and parent. Photo: Scott Calvert/The Wall Street JournalPLUMSTEAD TOWNSHIP, Pa.—Sexually explicit pamphlets, mysterious lawn signs with barbed slogans and accusations of lying have punctuated a partisan school board race in this Philadelphia suburb. Campaigning ends Tuesday, when voters will either keep the Republican majority or give Democrats the reins. At stake is control of the Central Bucks School District, Pennsylvania’s third-largest with more than 17,000 students. Hundreds of districts across the country will hold local school board elections Nov. 7, ahead of a 2024 presidential campaign that is expected to see education play a bigger role than in the past.

Persons: Karen Smith, Laura Sorenson, Scott Calvert Organizations: Democrat, Central Bucks School District, Republican Locations: PLUMSTEAD, Pa, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s

DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania, June 24 (Reuters) - On May 12, the library coordinator for Pennsylvania's Central Bucks School District sent an email to colleagues that some conservative parents and Christian advocacy groups had long prayed to see. Liberal groups say the effort amounts to censorship and even bigotry, with disproportionate harm to LGBT students and those in other minority groups. Dana Hunter, a Republican and the chair of the school board, said she sought advice from Jeremy Samek, senior counsel at the Independence Law Center and the Pennsylvania Family Institute. "There are things that everybody would agree, including the ACLU, that you shouldn't be giving to kids," said Samek, who does not live in the school district. Dell'Angelo, one of the board's Democrats, said it was wrong to involve groups that oppose LGBT rights in public school policy, and unethical to do so in secret.

Persons: Maia Kobabe, Juno Dawson, curriculums, Tabitha Dell'Angelo, Dana Hunter, Jeremy Samek, Hunter, Dell'Angelo, Samek, Hannah Beier, Leo Burchell, Shannon Harris, Harris, Jonathan Allen, Paul Thomasch, Claudia Parsons Organizations: Pennsylvania's Central Bucks School District, Republican, Liberal, Family Research Council, Independence Law Center, Pennsylvania Family Institute, Reuters, Republicans, American Association of School Librarians, Liberty, Museum, American, REUTERS, American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, U.S . Department of Education's, Civil Rights, U.S, ACLU, Pennsylvania Family, Family Research, Thomson Locations: DOYLESTOWN , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Bucks, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, U.S, Central Bucks

☆ Pennsylvania school district created culture of anti-LGBTQ discrimination, complaint alleges
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a federal complaint Thursday alleging one of the largest school districts in the state has created a widespread culture of discrimination toward LGBTQ students, particularly those who are transgender and nonbinary. The lawyers interviewed dozens of LGBTQ students and their parents, as well as current and former teachers and staff. The bullying forced some of them to miss school, and in 2019, a former transgender student attempted suicide, according to the complaint. Serving more than 18,000 students, Central Bucks drew national attention in 2021 as debates over pandemic policies gave way to larger culture-war clashes in the community. Amid a surge in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policy in school boards across the country, Walczak said, the alleged circumstances at Central Bucks are not an isolated situation.

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