Civil Rights Organizations Urge Students, Parents, Teachers, and Staff to Know Their Rights as the Academic Year Begins

PORTLAND – The ACLU of Maine, EqualityMaine, and GLAD Law have released an updated Know Your Rights guide for students, faculty, staff, and families. It covers several topics, including Maine’s new ICE Out of Schools and State Healthcare law, LGBTQ+ rights, and freedom of speech for students, faculty, and staff.

The most significant addition is information about ICE Out of Schools and State Healthcare. This new law, which took effect on July 29, 2026, requires school staff to deny federal immigration agents access to private spaces and private information unless agents present a valid judicial warrant. This empowers frontline employees to protect the people they serve. The law applies to all public schools, charter schools, public pre-K programs, public colleges and universities, state libraries, and state healthcare facilities. (Read more about the law in letters sent by the ACLU of Maine to state education leaders.)

Additionally, the guide makes clear that Maine law protects the right of transgender girls to play on girls’ sports teams and transgender boys to play on boys' sports teams. A recent Supreme Court ruling in West Virginia v. BPJ allows states to enact bans against transgender girls and women. However, the Maine Human Rights Act protects transgender students, and nothing in this ruling changes that.

The resources cover a variety of issues in public schools:

• Immigrants’ rights and school responsibilities, including the new ICE Out of Schools and State Healthcare law
• Inclusion for transgender students in sports, facility use, and accurate names and pronouns
• The rights of pregnant students, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ students
• Student free speech, protests, and walkouts
• Students’ rights when interacting with school resource officers or other law enforcement
• The importance of access to books and information
• Faculty and staff free speech

“As the Trump administration continues targeting people as they move about their daily lives, it’s crucial that all people know their rights,” said ACLU of Maine Executive Director Molly Curren Rowles. “All students do better when they can learn and thrive in safe, healthy environments. It is also fundamental to free thought and societal advancement that teachers and students remain free to ask questions, debate, study, and present their views without restriction, intimidation, or retaliation. We encourage all people to learn more about their rights so they can exercise and enforce them every day.”

“As a former teacher, I recall feeling both energized and nervous at the start of the school year,” said Gia Drew, Executive Director of EqualityMaine. “I always worried for LGBTQ+ students and how their first days back would go. And I think one of the barriers to creating inclusive school communities is the fear of making mistakes, saying the wrong thing, or offending someone. Creating a safer learning environment doesn’t require educators and administrators to have all the answers or to be perfect. But acknowledging learning is a journey and that trust is developed over time is an important reminder to school communities so they can create spaces where all young people feel seen, respected, and supported."

“All students have the right to access the opportunities provided by a robust education, and that includes LGBTQ+ students,” said GLAD Law Staff Attorney Hannah Hussey. “An inclusive learning environment free from bullying and harassment helps all students thrive. As a new school year begins, we want to make sure students, parents, and school staff know the important rights and protections provided under Maine law.”