Pennsylvania school board passes policy to protect girl’s sports, faces questions about financial problems and teacher retention

A Pennsylvania school board unanimously voted to base school sports participation on biological sex, but the district is facing other questions about financial problems and staffing.

“Based upon real and demonstrable physical and competitive differences between similarly aged and trained biological males and biological females in athletic performances, we recognize that combining sexes for competition purposes would have a chilling effect on female participation in interscholastic athletics,” says Policy 123.3 of the Pennridge School District in Perkasie.

“Athletic teams or sports designated for ‘females,’ ‘women,’ or ‘girls’ shall not be open to students of the male sex, and athletic teams or sports designated for ‘males,’ ‘men,’ or ‘boys’ shall not be open to students of the female sex,” it also says.

The only board member who voiced hesitation was Joan Cullen, who wished to see a stronger policy that would also protect students from receiving repercussions for speaking out against transgender ideology.

“We see that happening out in society right now – female athletes that are being subjected to these situations where they have to compete against biological men, in locker rooms they are facing repercussions for speaking out or they are told to stay silent,” Cullen said during the meeting. 

Cullen also disputed claims the policy was not supported by research. 

“There’s a lot of research about the damage that has been done to children who are given hormone therapy and minors who are given surgical procedures,” Cullen said. “Other countries have reversed, they have gone back from their gender affirmation practices, so it’s not at all accurate. The research is out there and to say that the research doesn’t exist is completely disingenuous.”  

After discussion, the board unanimously approved the policy before hearing other concerns about teacher attrition and financial burdens stemming from a lawsuit.

“I’m here to speak again on the disheartening continued attrition of our teachers, administrators and staff,” Bradley Merkl-Gump, a teacher himself, said at the meeting. “Since the devastating loss of over 60 teachers this summer, including nearly half the professional staff of one of our elementary schools, not a single month has gone by without more staff fleeing the treatment they are receiving here at Pennridge.” 

A Father in the district, Kevin Foster expressed similar worries.  

“Pennridge is in crisis,” Foster said. “The teachers and the staff are leaving Pennridge at a rate three times the Pennsylvania state average. On the agenda tonight is another wave of resignations. My children’s school Grass Elementary is losing teaching assistance and our wonderful and well-respected guidance counselor, after losing multiple teachers over the summer. Over 10 resignations in October across Pennridge tonight, more than double what we had in October of 2022.” 

The father also voiced concerns about financial strains on the district. 

“Also, tonight the board is writing another check to our high-priced Harrisburg law firm for $140,000, bringing their two-month total to $300,000,” Foster said. “In the 2021-22 school year the district spent $240,000 for the entire year.”

He also questioned how the district will come up with the money to continue paying attorney fees after a parent lawsuit filed last year.  

“They’ll take money that is meant for our children to pay their attorneys,” Foster claimed.  

According to financial documents, Pennridge School Board attorney Eckert Seamans has billed the district approximately $528,949.94, this year. However, Board Director Ron Wurz claims the real figure is “close to a million,” according to Bucks County Beacon.  

Some of those fees are related to a lawsuit filed in February 2022 by Darren Laustsen, a father of an elementary school student in the district.

According to the lawsuit, the district failed to respond to Laustsen’s inquiries for a complete list of library books held at the school and deliberately concealed books checked out by staff to evade the law, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Last Friday, a judge sided with Laustsen, ordering the district to give Lausten the records he requested and pay his lawyer’s fees.  

“The district altered the records that were the subject of the request, thwarted public access to public information, and effectuated a cover-up of faculty, administrators, and other non-students’ removal of books from Pennridge High School’s library shelves,” the judge stated, according to the Inquirer.  

The amount of Laustsen’s legal fees has yet to be confirmed.