Unlawful discrimination is extraordinarily harmful for all people, especially students. These harms have a lasting impact that deprives young people of equal opportunities to grow, learn and succeed—and deprives us all of those young people’s unique insights, talents, and contributions.

LD1647, “An Act to Amend the Maine Human Rights Act to Provide Additional Remedies for Educational Discrimination,” would make compensatory damages available for students who can prove they have experienced unlawful educational discrimination. These damages were historically available under federal law until 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court severely limited remedies. Now, students must rely on the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA) to protect them. However, the modest civil penalties provided under the MHRA are not enough to cover the costs of litigation or compensate victims for the harms they have suffered.

LD 1647 is a common-sense bill that restores the status quo as it existed before 2022 when the damages were available, and in doing so reaffirms Maine’s commitment to building an education system where all students can thrive.

Read the testimony from GLAD Law and the ACLU of Maine to learn more.