JAY — Superintendent Scott Albert told the Regional School Unit 73 board of directors Thursday that he attended a recent Kennebec County Superior Court hearing where lawyers for the Spruce Mountain School District and six other districts asked Justice Michaela Murphy to dismiss a Maine Human Rights Commission lawsuit against the districts.
The commission is seeking to require the seven districts to follow state law that allows transgender athletes to participate on sports teams that align with their gender identity.
The districts changed their policies after a federal executive order recognized “only two sexes: biological male and biological female,” and barred transgender students from bathrooms, locker rooms and athletic teams.
John Baldacci Jr., lawyer for six of the districts, told the court the Maine Human Rights Commission has no legal standing in the case, Albert said.
A person or group has legal standing when it would be harmed by another party’s action or inaction. The districts argue the commission is not harmed by their sports participation policies. The commission argues it has a public interest responsibility to respond when districts disregard state law.
Murphy told the lawyers she may stay, or pause, the case until the Maine Supreme Judicial Court rules on the validity of the signatures submitted for a proposed referendum that would base students’ access to sports on their birth gender.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled that thousands of signatures on the petitions were illegally gathered, making the proposed referendum ineligible for the November ballot.
Albert told the RSU 73 board he expects a decision on the dismissal to take weeks, if not months.
The board will meet in July only if it has business to conduct, such as hiring teachers. Spruce Mountain High School Principal TJ Plourde said Thursday night that nearly all faculty positions for 2026‑27 have been filled.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 6.
