How local schools stop harmful gender policies from affecting your kids
Lancaster County stands in stark contrast to the Philadelphia collar counties.
A review of the Lancaster County school district policies shows the majority of districts are in compliance with the federal directives related to gender protections under Title IX, revealing a very different approach compared to the Philadelphia area.
Of the seventeen school districts in Lancaster County, only four are out of compliance with the federal Title IX regulations, meaning their policy recognizes “gender identity” or “gender” as a protected class. The executive order clarifies that sex is based on biology and is either male or female, and sex is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of gender identity.
Of the 62 districts analyzed across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, 26 or over 40% have a specific policy for transgender students, often entitled, “Transgender and Gender Expansive Students.” Districts with this particular policy clearly articulate that students can use the bathroom that most closely aligns with their gender identity. This policy also requires school staff and administration to withhold information from parents.
Not a single Lancaster County school district has a policy of this type; moreover, several districts went a step further and enacted specific policies to ensure parents are included in any name or pronoun changes related to gender identity.
In the Philadelphia collar counties, only 37% of the district’s policies are compliant and do not include gender identity in their Title IX nondiscrimination policy. Conversely, in Lancaster County, over 75 percent of the districts’ polices are in compliance with federal law and do not include gender identity in their Title IX policy.
The chart below shows each Lancaster County school district and its policy’s compliance with federal regulations and executive orders.
Lancaster County School District Policies
Click on the link to read the full policy
The map below depicts the seventeen Lancaster county districts with compliance indicated by green and noncompliance denoted by blue. The four noncompliant districts are clustered in the central and eastern parts of the county.
The Trump administration is taking legal action against states that refuse to comply with Title IX protections for girls and women. While the key issue is focused on boys competing in girls’ sports, other aspects include keeping boys out of girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms.
While Pennsylvania has not yet been targeted by the federal government, it seems only a matter of time. Only a few school districts in Lancaster County are currently noncompliant, but in adjacent Philadelphia collar counties, the majority of districts’ policies fail to comply with the intent of Title IX.
The showdown between blue states and the Trump administration started even before his inauguration. In January, a federal judge reversed the Biden administration’s rewrite of Title IX that included protections against discrimination based on “gender identity.”
Upon taking office, Trump followed up the ruling with an executive order — Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government — that set the stage for ensuing battles.
Despite the federal orders and a subsequent “dear colleague” letter warning states and school districts about potential consequences for violators, Pennsylvania is doubling down. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) continues to provide protections based on “gender identity” despite the federal law, court rulings, and executive orders.
The PHRC regulations are in direct conflict with federal law and provide cover for some school districts in the commonwealth. Many Philadelphia area districts in the state continue to allow students to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity as opposed to their biology, citing the PHRC regulations.
Based on the analysis of policies, Lancaster County is more closely aligned to both the letter and the intent of the law than the Philadelphia collar counties.
Both Elizabethtown and Penn Manor enacted policies entitled, “Student Records: Name, Sex, and Gender Identity.” This policy contains specific language that the school will not withhold information from parents about their child’s gender identification.
“The district shall not conceal legally unprotected student information about a student’s mental, emotional or physical health from the student’s parent/guardian. This includes but is not limited to information regarding injuries or illnesses, bullying incidents involving their student, changes to mental or emotional health at school, or changes to the student’s gender identification at school.” [Emphasis added.]
In the Philadelphia collar counties, 40% of the districts have policies that require school staff to keep information from parents. Most contain this exact language or some variation.
“In general, the prerogative to assert the rights of the gender expansive and transgender students belong to the student and do not require additional parental/guardian consent unless the assertion of a right delineated in these guidelines implicate parental/guardian rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or other applicable law.”
Based on written policies, at least two Lancaster County districts are in compliance with keeping boys out of girls sports. Both Elizabethtown and Hempfield have specific policies entitled “Sex-Based Distinctions in Athletics.”
“Separate athletic teams on the basis of sex preserve fairness, provide increased opportunities for females and are physically safer. As such, the district provides separate interscholastic athletic teams on the basis of sex.”
Overall, the majority of Lancaster County school districts are not only complying with federal regulations but are also holding the line when it comes to keeping parents informed about their children and keeping boys out of girls’ spaces.
Many Philadelphia area districts allow students to use the bathroom based on their gender identity and some districts allow boys to compete in girls’ sports.
While for now, only four of the seventeen Lancaster districts are in direct violation of the federal regulations and orders, could other districts start moving in that direction? Districts like Elizabethtown, Hempfield, and Penn Manor are committed to not only compliance but also fairness for girls and respect for parental rights.
Will the migration of liberal policies continue to push into Lancaster County, or will districts like Elizabethtown set the standard to stop the progressive agenda from spreading outside of the Philadelphia area?
Author’s note: Districts can update policies at any time. Please email me with any discrepancies and the data will be updated.
Beth Ann Rosica resides in West Chester, has a Ph.D. in Education, and has dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of at-risk children and families. She covers education issues for Broad + Liberty. Contact her at barosica@broadandliberty.com.
