DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A law firm hired by the Central Bucks School Board found bullying is not widespread in the district and school administrators have handled bullying correctly, despite recent accusations.
The Duane Morris law firm presented its findings at a school board meeting Thursday night in response to a complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which accuses the district of creating a toxic environment for LGBTQ students.
The ACLU filed the complaint against the district in October 2022 on behalf of seven students. The complaint says the acts of discrimination violate Title IX of the Education Amendments Act and says the district did not take reasonable measures to address persistent harassment.
The complaint goes on to accuse the school board of making a hostile environment worse with the addition of several policies, including the measure that passed in January preventing teachers from displaying specific items in their classrooms that take a side on political or social issues, like pride flags.
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Michael Rinaldi, an attorney with Duane Morris, presented the firm’s findings to the board on Thursday. He said his team studied four specific allegations, related to claims of retaliation against a teacher, a student walkout, bullying and district policy.
While the firm did find some reports of bullying, Rinaldi said his team determined it is not widespread, as alleged. He also said school staff handled matters appropriately.
“The evidence shows that when the students or parents bring the matters to the school staff’s attention, they’re dealt with very effectively and promptly,” he concluded.
At times, there was disagreement among the board; and though names were redacted, some members were concerned about the students' privacy when specific events were presented.
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The ACLU called the report “worthless” and “dishonest from the beginning.” In a Twitter thread, the organization said the law firm has a bias against transgender and non-binary students. The group also claims the lawyers ignored and failed to question the staff and LGBTQ student groups who are most familiar with the issues.
The ACLU expects the United States Department of Education will conclude “that Central Bucks is systematically and intentionally violating students’ civil rights.”