Maine § 4602. - Unlawful educational discrimination

§ 4602.. Unlawful educational discrimination

1.  Unlawful educational discrimination.  It is unlawful educational discrimination in violation of this Act, on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, ancestry, national origin, race, color or religion, to:

A. Exclude a person from participation in, deny a person the benefits of, or subject a person to, discrimination in any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training or other program or activity;   [PL 1985, c. 797, §1 (AMD).]

B. Deny a person equal opportunity in athletic programs;   [PL 1983, c. 578, §3 (NEW).]

C. Apply any rule concerning the actual or potential familial status or marital status of a person or to exclude any person from any program or activity because of pregnancy or related conditions or because of sex or sexual orientation or gender identity;   [PL 2021, c. 366, §19 (AMD).]

D. Deny a person admission to the institution or program or to fail to provide equal access to and information about an institution or program through recruitment; or   [PL 2021, c. 366, §19 (AMD).]

E. Deny a person financial assistance availability and opportunity.   [PL 2021, c. 366, §19 (AMD).]

2.  Unlawful educational discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disability. 

3.  Unlawful educational discrimination on the basis of national origin or race. 

4.  Unlawful education discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. 

5.  Application.  Nothing in this section:

A. Requires an educational institution to provide separate athletic or other extracurricular programs to serve a person with a physical or mental disability;   [PL 2021, c. 366, §19 (NEW).]

B. May be construed to affect the rights of a person with a physical or mental disability to special education programs under state or federal law;   [PL 2021, c. 366, §19 (NEW).]

C. Requires a religious corporation, association or society that does not receive public funding to comply with this section as it relates to sexual orientation or gender identity; or   [PL 2021, c. 366, §19 (NEW).]

D. Requires an educational institution to participate in or endorse any religious beliefs or practices; to the extent that an educational institution permits religious expression, it cannot discriminate between religions in so doing.   [PL 2021, c. 366, §19 (NEW).]