Gov. Chris Sununu on Thursday signed Senate Bill 263 into law, relative to anti-discrimination protection for students in public schools.
Under the new law, anti-discrimination lawsuits against school districts are now allowed in state courts. The action was a policy change sought specifically by the state’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion, following its first round of public listening sessions across the state.
The bill, sponsored locally by Sen. Tom Sherman, D-Rye, Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth, Sen. David Watters, D-Dover, Rep. Gerri Cannon, D-Somersworth, Rep. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, and Rep. Jason Janvrin, R-Seabrook, called for an amendment of RSA 193, to include new language outlining discrimination in public schools.
“No person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in public schools because of their age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, marital status, familial status, disability, religion or national origin, all as defined in this chapter,” the new language states. The law also states “any person claiming to be aggrieved by a discriminatory practice prohibited under RSA 354-A:27³ may initiate a civil action in superior court, file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, or the attorney general may initiate such civil action.
