Springfield Township School District made headlines in 2016 when it became one of the first in Pennsylvania to officially adopt a policy allowing transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms of the gender they identify with.
“We know this isn’t without controversy,” Dr. Nancy Hacker, former superintendent, told CBS News at the time. “But regardless, we wanted to make a statement that as a school district, this is who we are, this is what we believe, and we will support all our students, no matter who they believe they are.”
Last month, the district issued a letter reinforcing compliance with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission’s (PHRC) regulations regarding the definition of sex following President Donald Trump’s pair of executive orders on the matter.
“The School District of Springfield Township is governed by the residents of our community, who have elected nine representatives to serve on the Board of School Directors,” superintendent Dr. MaryJo Yannacone wrote in the letter. “We believe firmly in our mission to ‘educate our students as learners and citizens who are high-achieving, resilient and responsible in a changing global ‘community.’ Aligned with our mission in an equity vision that we are ‘committed to and accountable for advancing equity and excellence for all of our students.’ Today and every day, we remain focused on our shared mission and vision.”
The letter goes on to state that while the potential loss of federal funding due to President Trump’s orders is “certainly a concern”, federal funding makes up less than 2 percent of the district budget.
The letter is below:
A recent Broad & Liberty article cites the letter as it discusses a 58-page petition filed on Thursday, March 6 by a Western Pennsylvanian law firm on behalf of two school districts in Butler County and five individuals.
According to the article, the petition has been filed against Governor Josh Shapiro and the PHRC, alleging the PHRC’s regulations “are a violation of the state constitution and the non-delegation doctrine.”
According to Dr. Beth Ann Rosica, who authored the article and is a plaintiff in the litigation, “These regulations impact every school district in the Commonwealth and both force and allow students to use the bathroom of their choice. Some districts are relying on these regulations to continue to allow boys to compete in girls’ sports.”
“The PHRC in 2023 changed its regulations to include gender expression, gender identity, and affectional or sexual orientation in the definition of ‘sex,'” Dr. Rosica wrote. “According to the PHRC, every school district is legally obligated to follow the regulations, despite the executive orders.”
The five individuals mentioned include three elected officials (State Representative Aaron Bernstine, serving portions of Butler and Lawrence counties; State Representative Barbara Gleim, serving parts of Cumberland County; and Jason Saylor, Perkiomen Valley School Board Director in Montgomery County) and two parents (Alexandra Pasternak in Delaware County and Beth Ann Rosica of Chester County).
“In violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the PHRC has created a heretofore unimagined meaning of ‘sex’ within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” the petition alleges. “Under the PHRC regulations, there are multiple classifications of persons such as males, females, nonbinary, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or asexual individuals who by inclination, practice, identity or expression, having a history thereof, or being perceived, presumed or identified by others as having such an orientation.”
The petition can be found below:
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