Philadelphia, PA, May 25, 2018 … The Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Regional Director, Nancy K. Baron-Baer, released the following statement welcoming yesterday’s unanimous decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upholding Boyertown Area School District’s inclusive school policy:
“The decision by the appeals court in this case reaffirms the legal rights and dignity of transgender students in schools. It marks a significant victory, not just for the students at Boyertown, but for all students who seek safe and inclusive learning environments.”
“Transgender students face a disproportionate amount of discrimination, bias, and harassment in schools. Boyertown’s policy sends a strong and unequivocal message that transgender students are valued, that they have rights, and that they deserve an equal educational opportunity. Boyertown’s policy reflects both the right thing for schools to do, and the legally sound thing for schools do.”
ADL filed an amicus (friend-of-the court) brief in this case on behalf of a broad coalition of national and local civil rights organizations to protect the rights of transgender students in the Boyertown Area School District in eastern Pennsylvania. The brief asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to uphold Boyertown’s policy allowing transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. The brief was prepared for ADL by the law firm Dechert LLP in Philadelphia and was joined by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, Education Law Center-PA, Equality Pennsylvania, Human Rights Campaign, Mazzoni Center, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Center for Youth Law, National Council of Jewish Women, and People for the American Way Foundation.
As a leading provider of anti-bias education programs, ADL is acutely aware that inclusive policies like Boyertown’s are in the best interests of all students. For over a decade, every school in the Boyertown Area School District has participated in ADL’s No Place for Hate program, and ADL has provided anti-bias training to students and educators in the district.
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The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today it is the world’s leading organization combating anti-Semitism, exposing hate groups, training law enforcement on hate crimes, developing anti-bias curricula for students, countering cyber-hate and relentlessly pursuing equal rights for all. Follow us on Twitter: @ADLPhiladelphia