NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. — The West Shore School Board was met with a packed house again Tuesday night, as concerns surrounding recent actions made by the board's majority linger in the community.
Politics continue to clash with school policy. It's a similar situation West Shore parent Ben Hodge saw when the Central York School Board moved to ban books in the district he teaches in.
"We're seeing a lot of the same things that were happening in our district," Hodge said, "Such as the firing of solicitors, going after superintendents, going after faculty and staff."
The nonprofit Education Law Center (ELC) informed the board about the implications of affiliating with a right-wing law firm during Tuesday's special meeting of the board.
Board member Abigail Tierney, who has an education law background, requested the ELC address the board and public after a private meeting with the Independence Law Center on March 18.
"I felt if this board was going to expose itself to a risk of harm for itself, and the taxpayers, I wanted the board to completely understand what that might be," Tierney said.
The ELC, which has been around for nearly five decades, says on its website that its mission is to "ensure access to a quality public education for all children in Pennsylvania." You can read more about the not-for-profit here.
Senior Attorney Kristina Moon represented the ELC.
The group’s work aims to provide equitable education in the Commonwealth, which Moon says has faced increasing pressure in the last two years.
“We're at, like 55 school districts that have been in the news or contacted ELC, or our partners because of concerns about LGBTQ student discrimination," Moon said. "So that's like one in 10 school districts across the state. It's an alarming number.
The presentation touched on legal considerations with changing policy, including both federal and state laws that guarantee student rights.
"That is going to likely cost them at litigation stage or down the road in some way, in addition to costing students their right to access in schools," Moon said.
Full access to the entire slideshow from the Education Law Center can be found here.
This move comes after two tense board meetings. One on April 11, a five to four majority voted to suspend board policy regarding the appointment of a solicitor and immediately replace former Solicitor Brooke Say and her firm Stock and Leader.
A week later community members and concerned families voiced their frustration again over the controversial appointment of the new solicitor, Kevin Hall. They also raised concerns that the move, and Hall's email to Say of her termination before his appointment, was a violation of Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act.
For parents like Hodge, he says they want to see those rights protected, and public trust restored by the Board.
"I think if you're going to use words like transparency and freedom, that you should back that up with actual action," Hodge said.