Abington School District Expands its Nondiscrimination Policy

The Abington School Board approved a motion last night amending several of the district’s policies to reflect the district’s relatively new nondiscrimination statement and policy.

In late March, the board approved a modified professional and nonprofessional employee policy; “sexual orientation” and “gender identity/expression” were added as protected classes.

See that story here.

School board President Raymond McGarry said the board directed the district’s administration to identify other district policies that include a nondiscrimination statement … and align those policies with the updated one.

The five policy sections affected in yesterday’s motion are: curriculum, regarding nondiscrimination of students in the classroom; human resources, regarding harassment by and of district employees; students, regarding bullying; students, regarding student offenses and discipline procedures; and technology, regarding networked information practices for students and staff.

The district’s modified nondiscrimination policy statement reads: The District is committed to equal opportunity without discrimination by reason of race, color, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, gender, age disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or religion.

The amendments passed in one reading—an exception to the school board’s policy. Abington School District spokesman Byron Goldstein said the motion passed after one reading because they were “minor amendments” to the policies.