Pennsylvania
Hundreds of high school students organize walkout to protest trans bathroom rule: ‘Rights are now compromised’
Hundreds of students from Pennsylvania’s Perkiomen Valley School District walked out of class Friday after the local school board failed to enact a policy requiring transgender students to use the restroom corresponding with their biological sex.
“Kids were upset. Girls… we wanted to protect them. They were upset. They didn’t want men in their bathroom,” John Ott, who organized the walkout, told FOX News on Monday.
His mother Stephanie accused the district of only protecting transgender students and not looking at the “whole picture.”
“The safety of females is so important and these students that stood out that walked out, they are to be commended. They have courage and they exercise their First Amendment rights. This is about protecting our children and our privacy and boys and girls. It’s simple biology.”
Proposed Policy 720 came after local father Tim Jagger posted on social media that his daughter was left “too upset and emotionally disturbed” to walk into school bathrooms after allegedly having an encounter with a transgender student in one of the facilities, according to WPVI-TV in Philadelphia.
The outlet’s report, however, said neither the father nor his daughter were 100% sure that the student Jagger’s daughter encountered in the restroom was a biological male.
Victoria Rudolph, another Perkiomen Valley student, told FOX News that allowing biological males to enter women’s restrooms also makes her uncomfortable and changes need to be made to protect girls.
“There needs to be some changes. It’s just uncomfortable seeing, 19-year-old men or 18-year-old men in the bathroom,” she said.
A third student, Brandon Emery, said the district has not explained how they plan to enact the policy, but students feel as if their voices are not being heard.
“It makes me feel as if it’s me and my sister and the rest of us students’ rights are now compromised and not a priority to this school whatsoever,” he said.
Emery’s mother, Melanie Marren, said it’s frustrating to see kids handling situations that should be handled by adults, telling “FOX & Friends First” co-host Todd Piro that it’s important for the students’ voices to be heard.
“They are making these policies without taking into consideration how they affect the students and how uncomfortable it is just to be a teenager in general, but now have to be faced with the invasion of their privacy in those areas where they should feel safe and private,” she said.
When FOX News reached out to the district for comment, the Perkiomen Valley School Board’s president said: “Although I voted differently than the majority of the board, as board president, I respect the outcome of the vote and those who voted against expediting the policy.
I also appreciate our student body, those who came to our previous board meeting to vote, and the 300+ students who used their First Amendment right to voice their opinion in favor of the policy during their protest on Friday.”
By:
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 | 9:08 PM
Last week was the first week when the district postseason morphed into the state playoffs.
While some of the district playoffs conclude with championships this weekend, other district winners move on to the PIAA quarterfinals Friday and Saturday.
Seven ranked teams from a week ago saw their seasons come to an end last week and that number should grow this week with plenty of head-to-head battles that will set the state for the semifinals Thanksgiving weekend.
There are nine games Friday or Saturday between teams in the Top 5 of this week’s Trib HSSN state rankings, including two each in 4A, 3A and Class A.
There was only one change at the very top of a class as Bishop McDevitt moved to No. 1 in 5A following Upper St. Clair’s first loss of the season.
The other five classes remain the same on top with St. Joe’s Prep in 6A, Lampeter-Strasburg in 4A, Northwestern Lehigh in 3A, Troy in 2A and Fort Cherry in Class A still at the head of their class.
Here are the latest Trib HSSN rankings in each of the six classifications. Teams are listed with overall record, last week’s ranking and district.
Class 6A
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (8-2) (1) (D-12): The defending PIAA 6A champion Hawks defeated No. 2 Imhotep Charter in Week 12, 42-0. They play Parkland in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
2. Central Catholic (10-2) (3) (D-7): The Vikings defeated North Allegheny in Week 12, 45-14. They play State College in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
3. West Lawn Wilson (11-1) (4) (D-3): The Bulldogs defeated Central York in Week 12, 28-20. They play No. 4 Harrisburg in the District 3 championship game Saturday.
4. Harrisburg (10-2) (NR) (D-3): The Cougars defeated Manheim Township in Week 12, 35-14. They play No. 3 West Lawn Wilson in the District 3 championship game Saturday.
5. Downingtown West (12-1) (NR) (D-1): The Whippets defeated Central Bucks West in Week 12, 28-23. They host North Penn in the District 1 championship game Friday.
Out: Imhotep Charter (12), Central Bucks South (1)
Class 5A
1. Bishop McDevitt (10-2) (2) (D-3): The Crusaders defeated Mechanicsburg in Week 12, 26-14. They play Exeter Township in the District 3 championship game Friday.
2. Pine-Richland (10-1) (3) (D-7): The Rams defeated Bethel Park in Week 12, 28-7. They play No. 4 Peters Township in the WPIAL championship game Saturday on Trib HSSN.
3. Roman Catholic (9-4) (4) (D-12): The Cahillites defeated East Stroudsburg in Week 12, 41-13. They play Hollidaysburg in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
4. Peters Township (11-1) (5) (D-7): The Indians defeated No. 1 Upper St. Clair in Week 12, 7-3. They play No. 2 Pine-Richland in the WPIAL championship game Saturday on Trib HSSN.
5. West Chester Rustin (12-1) (NR) (D-1): The Golden Knights defeated Upper Dublin in Week 12, 35-14. They visit Springfield-Delco in the District 1 championship game Friday.
Out: Upper St. Clair (7)
Class 4A
1. Lampeter-Strasburg (12-0) (1) (D-3): The Pioneers defeated Twin Valley in Week 12, 31-13. They play No. 5 Wyomissing in the District 3 championship game Friday.
2. Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast (9-2) (2) (D-12): The Friars defeated West Philadelphia in Week 12, 50-16. They play No. 4 Pope John Paul II in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
3. Thomas Jefferson (13-0) (3) (D-7): The Jaguars defeated McKeesport in Week 12, 28-7. They play Clearfield in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
4. Pope John Paul II (12-1) (5) (D-1): The Golden Panthers defeated Valley View in Week 12, 36-0. They play No. 2 Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
5. Wyomissing (9-2) (NR) (D-3): The Spartans defeated West York in Week 12, 35-7. They play No. 1 Lampeter-Strasburg in the District 3 championship game Friday.
Out: Shamokin (4)
Class 3A
1. Northwestern Lehigh (13-0) (1) (D-11): The Tigers defeated Conwell-Egan in Week 12, 49-7. They play No. 4 Scranton Prep in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
2. Danville (12-0) (2) (D-4): The Ironmen defeated Lewisburg in Week 12, 28-24. They play Bermudian Springs in a PIAA quarterfinal Saturday.
3. Penn Cambria (13-0) (4) (D-6): The Panthers defeated Somerset in Week 12, 40-0. They play No. 5 Hickory in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
4. Scranton Prep (12-1) (NR) (D-2): The Cavaliers defeated Wyoming Area in Week 12, 28-6. They play No. 1 Northwestern Lehigh in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
5. Hickory (11-1) (NR) (D-10): The Hornets defeated No. 5 Sharon in Week 12, 37-31. They play No. 3 Penn Cambria in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
Out: Imani Christian (7), Sharon (10)
Class 2A
1. Troy (13-0) (1) (D-4): The Trojans defeated Warrior Run in Week 12, 59-14. They play Bedford in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
2. Central Clarion (12-0) (2) (D-9): The Wildcats defeated Farrell in Week 12, 41-6. They play No. 3 Cambria Heights in a PIAA quarterfinal Saturday.
3. Cambria Heights (13-0) (4) (D-6): The Highlanders defeated Richland in Week 12, 42-21. They play No. 2 Central Clarion in a PIAA quarterfinal Saturday.
4. Seton LaSalle (11-0) (5) (D-7): The Rebels defeated Steel Valley in Week 12, 27-13. They play South Park in the WPIAL championship game Saturday on Trib HSSN.
5. Williams Valley (12-1) (NR) (D-11): The Vikings defeated Schuylkill Haven in Week 12, 28-13. They play Taylor Riverside in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
Out: Schuylkill Haven (11)
Class A
1. Fort Cherry (13-0) (1) (D-7): The Rangers defeated Jeannette in Week 12, 49-14. They play No. 4 Clairton in the WPIAL championship game Saturday on Trib HSSN.
2. Bishop Guilfoyle (12-1) (2) (D-6): The Marauders defeated Northern Cambria in Week 12, 42-18. They play No. 3 Westinghouse in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
3. Westinghouse (9-1) (3) (D-8): The Bulldogs defeated Windber in Week 12, 61-6. They play No. 2 Bishop Guilfoyle in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday.
4. Clairton (13-0) (4) (D-7): The Bears defeated Bishop Canevin in Week 12, 24-0. They play No. 1 Fort Cherry in the WPIAL championship game Saturday on Trib HSSN.
5. Port Allegany (12-0) (5) (D-9): The Gators defeated Redbank Valley in Week 12, 62-28. They play Wilmington in a PIAA quarterfinal Friday on Trib HSSN.
Out: None
Pennsylvania
A battle over mail ballots in Pennsylvania is latest example of messy disputes over election rules
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The recount underway in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race marks the end of a chaotic post-election period that has become the latest example of how disputed election rules can expose weak points in a core function of American democracy.
The ballot-counting process in the race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick has become a spectacle of hours-long election board meetings, social media outrage, lawsuits and accusations that some county officials are openly flouting the law.
The Associated Press called the race for McCormick on Nov. 7, concluding that not enough ballots remained to be counted in areas Casey was winning for him to take the lead.
As the race headed toward a recount, which must be concluded by next Tuesday, Republicans have been claiming that Democrats are trying to steal McCormick’s seat by counting “illegal votes.” Casey’s campaign has said Republicans are trying to block enough votes to prevent him from pulling ahead and winning.
A big part of the dispute has centered around the date requirement on the return envelope that contains a mail-in ballot.
Republicans say state law and court precedent is clear and that mail ballots must be discarded if their envelopes don’t meet the criteria. Democrats insist that ballots shouldn’t be tossed out because of what they call technicalities.
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Several Democratic-controlled county election boards have been counting mail-in ballots in which the voter either wrote the wrong date on the return envelope or didn’t write one at all, despite the state Supreme Court saying just days before the election that such ballots shouldn’t be counted.
On Monday, the Democratic-majority high court reasserted its authority, ruling 4-3 to override active litigation in county courts and order local election boards to obey prior rulings that said such ballots cannot be added to the tally.
“Only the courts under our charter may declare a statute, or provision thereof, unconstitutional,” wrote Justice Kevin Brobson, a Republican.
Some Democrats had said the issue had been a legal gray area before Monday’s ruling. Democratic-majority election boards in Montgomery County, Philadelphia and Bucks County had voted to count ballots that lacked a correct date, while Republicans had said including a date is a critical element of ballot security.
Omar Sabir, the chairman of Philadelphia’s election board, pointed out that a county judge had recently ordered the board to count such ballots in a lawsuit stemming from a September special election.
“I think we as commissioners have discretion to decide which ballots can count, and that’s our right under Pennsylvania statute,” Sabir said Tuesday.
But it was a statement from a Democratic commissioner in Bucks County, a heavily populated political swing county just north of Philadelphia, that ignited social media outrage and threats of legal retaliation from Republicans.
In a meeting last week, Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, voted to count provisional ballots that were missing one of two required voter signatures. She did so after being told by a county attorney that the state Supreme Court had already ruled that such ballots can’t be counted.
“We all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country and people violate laws any time they want,” she said. “So for me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention to it. There is nothing more important than counting votes.”
The video of her statement spread quickly among conservatives, often wrongly portraying it as justifying a separate vote by the Bucks County election board to count mail ballots that arrived at local election offices in undated or misdated envelopes.
“This is a BLATANT violation of the law and we intend to fight it every step of the way,” Lara Trump, President-elect Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the RNC, wrote in a post on X that received 1.2 million views.
Ellis-Marseglia didn’t return a call to clarify what she meant. But the county board chair, Democrat Bob Harvie, said in a statement that commissioners had voted to protect the rights of voters — not sway an election.
The controversy over the decisions by some Democrats to take actions that appeared to contradict Pennsylvania law evoked similar disputes in several other states over the role of local election boards in certifying results. Some Republicans on those boards in recent years have voted against certification without any evidence of problems or wrongdoing, and did so despite their duty under state law.
The attacks on certification begun in 2020 by then-President Donald Trump and his allies raised concerns that partisans on local election boards could essentially block the will of the voters without justification. The moves prompted several Democratic-led states to pass laws clarifying the process.
In Pennsylvania, Republicans were quick to criticize local Democrats who voted to accept the mailed ballots that came in undated or wrongly dated envelopes. Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley called it “corrupt and despicable.”
“This is the kind of conduct that undermines faith in elections,” Whatley told reporters on a conference call. “When election officials pick and choose at the last minute which rules to follow and which to ignore, it naturally leads voters to lose trust in the process.”
Asked whether he thinks some county officials could face legal consequences, Whatley said Republicans were exploring options and would “pursue this to the fullest extent that we can.”
Even if the ballot-counting process this year is chaotic, it could produce a lasting result.
The legal challenges could lead to court decisions that dictate in future elections which ballots can and can’t be tallied, said Jeff Reber, a Republican who chairs the elections reform committee for the statewide association representing county commissioners.
“No one thinks the recount is going to change the outcome of the election,” he said. “The real battle is which ballots will be counted because that could be a precedent-setting decision.”
___
Follow Marc Levy at twitter.com/timelywriter
Pennsylvania
Dem governor breaks silence on illegal ballots in Pennsylvania Senate race and more top headlines
Good morning and welcome to Fox News’ morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here’s what you need to know to start your day …
TOP 3
1. Dem governor breaks weeks of silence in Pennsylvania Senate race.
2. Americans may learn why FEMA workers were told to skip Trump supporter homes.
3. Republicans throw wrench in Democratic confirmation machine.
MAJOR HEADLINES
NEXT STOP – Trump expands cabinet with former congressional star to ‘elevate’ Americans’ travel. Continue reading …
‘I WAS THERE’ – Illegal immigrant’s prison call may be smoking gun in Laken Riley murder case, expert says. Continue reading …
MONEY TALKS – Interviewers received large donations from Harris campaign ahead of sit-downs. Continue reading …
STRONG START – Trump out-pacing Biden, Obama even before he takes office after historic victory. Continue reading …
KREMLIN’S CAUTION – Putin signs revised doctrine lowering threshold for nuclear response if Russia is attacked. Continue reading …
—
POLITICS
POWERING UP – Trump’s energy ‘dream team’: Chris Wright and Doug Burgum’s potential to-do list. Continue reading …
‘COUNT ON IT’ – Member of Trump campaign says Pennsylvania Dems will face jail time over ballot recount. Continue reading …
RACE IS ON – Trump’s Treasury secretary pick: Who are the contenders? Continue reading …
BALANCE OF POWER – Size of slim Republican House majority hangs on 5 uncalled races. Continue reading …
Click here for more cartoons…
MEDIA
‘RATINGS TANK’ – ‘Morning Joe’ co-hosts called out for egg on their face after Trump sit-down. Continue reading …
TOSSED OUT – Katie Couric rips Harris for word salad responses in campaign interviews. Continue reading …
‘SICK AND TIRED’ – Californians reject progressive policies and politicians on Election Day. Continue reading …
‘DAMAGING’ – Washington Post columnist calls out ‘liberal media bias,’ says it’s hurting Democrats. Continue reading …
OPINION
HUGH HEWITT – Trump can unleash housing boom by ending ‘endangered’ scam. Continue reading …
LIZ PEEK – RFK Jr. wants to disrupt our powerful health care complex and it is terrified. Continue reading …
—
IN OTHER NEWS
ROOM FOR GROWTH – Kevin O’Leary voices support for Musk and Ramaswamy’s DOGE. Continue reading …
VIRAL EFFECT – COVID-19 virus could attack cancer cells and shrink tumors, new study suggests. Continue reading …
AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on holiday traditions, foods, travel spots and more. Take the quiz …
STAYING SAFE – Growing number of shoppers facing fraud: what to know. Continue reading …
WILD RIDE – Ostrich goes for stunning sprint with tourist on its back. See video …
WATCH
TOM HOMAN – Incoming Trump border czar’s warning for officials who may look to obstruct his efforts to secure the border. See video …
GINA BOLVIN – Market gains being pulled forward by post-election ‘euphoria.’ See video …
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FOX WEATHER
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