Schools/Discrimination/Prohibit/Protected Classes

This Act prohibits discrimination in public schools, including school districts and charter schools, based on race, ethnicity, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protective hairstyle, body size, pregnancy or childbirth or related conditions, disability, genetic information, socioeconomic status, familial status, immigration status, or housing status. Under this Act, the Department of Education is required to update its regulations to align the protected classes therein with those in the general non-discrimination provision created by this Act. In addition to creating this non-discrimination provision [§ 136 of Title 14], this Act also does the following: 1. Aligns the protected classes in § 506, pertaining to restrictions on charter schools, with the newly created non-discrimination provision in § 136 of Title 14. 2. Amends the definition of bullying in § 4161 of Title 14 to include written, electronic, verbal, or physical acts that target a student, a school district or charter school volunteer, or a school district or charter school employee based on the target’s membership in any protected class under the newly created non-discrimination provision in § 136 of Title 14, or based on the target’s age. 3. Aligns the protected classes included in paragraph (b)(2)f. of § 4164 of Title 14 with the additional protected classes included in the newly created non-discrimination provision in § 136 of Title 14. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

• David P. SokolaD
• DeShanna U NealD
• Mara GormanD
• Marie PinkneyD
• S. Elizabeth LockmanD