DOWNINGTOWN, PA — The Chester County Intermediate Unit reportedly rescinded a policy governing transgender and gender-nonconforming students after receiving a legal challenge over parental notification and employee speech requirements, according to reporting published by Broad + Liberty.
The reported reversal involves Policy 103.2, which directed Intermediate Unit personnel to use a student’s stated name and pronouns and generally prohibited employees from disclosing information that could reveal a student’s transgender status or gender-nonconforming presentation, including to parents or guardians, unless disclosure was legally required or authorized by the student.
The policy applied to CCIU-operated programs, including Brandywine Virtual Academy. The Intermediate Unit says it serves about 45,893 students through 78 programs, though the precise reach of the reported policy change has not been publicly clarified.
Independence Law Center and Alliance Defending Freedom challenged the policy on behalf of a Brandywine Virtual Academy employee, arguing that its requirements violated employees’ First Amendment speech and religious rights and infringed on parental rights.
The organizations said the Intermediate Unit rescinded the policy after receiving their demand letter. Broad + Liberty reported that a CCIU spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
The development therefore remains based largely on accounts from the organizations that challenged the policy. An official CCIU statement or publicly posted board action confirming the rescission, its effective date, and any replacement guidance was not identified in the reporting.
The legal groups also demanded that CCIU notify teachers in writing that Policy 103.2 had been rescinded.
Randall Wenger, chief counsel at Independence Law Center, said similar policies are common and pointed to a March 2026 U.S. Supreme Court order involving California school policies as supporting the group’s challenge.
“The Court’s Order reinforced the fundamental principle that schools cannot cut parents out of major decisions concerning the upbringing and care of their children,” Wenger told Broad + Liberty.
The dispute comes amid broader legal and political challenges over how schools handle students’ gender identity, parental notification and employee obligations. Independence Law Center and Alliance Defending Freedom also cited a 2025 Supreme Court case involving parents seeking to opt elementary school children out of instruction containing LGBTQ themes.
The reported rescission could draw attention to comparable policies elsewhere in the region. Parents Defending Education, an advocacy group cited in the reporting, lists several Pennsylvania districts as having policies it considers similar, including Great Valley School District in Chester County.
It remains unclear whether CCIU replaced Policy 103.2 with another policy, issued interim instructions to employees, or notified students and families about a change.
Read the full Broad + Liberty article: https://broadandliberty.com/2026/09/28/chester-county-intermediate-unit-24-drops-transgender-policy/
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