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Pennsylvania school boards up window openings that allowed views into its gender-neutral bathrooms

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Pennsylvania school boards up window openings that allowed views into its gender-neutral bathrooms


What to Know

  • A Pennsylvania school district has reversed course and boarded up window openings it recently installed that allowed people in a middle school hallway to peer into two gender-neutral-designated bathrooms.
  • South Western School District Superintendent Jay Burkhart said Friday that the two windows were installed in recent weeks following an August vote by the district’s conservative-majority school board.
  • The board president said the move was designed to monitor and prevent misbehavior.
  • Such openings weren’t installed in any of the school’s non-gender-neutral bathrooms. Burkhart says the openings were covered by plywood on Thursday on the advice of lawyers from the Harrisburg-based Independence Law Center, a conservative legal group the board consulted before ordering the windows installed.

A Pennsylvania school district has reversed course and boarded up window openings it recently installed that allowed people in a middle school hallway to peer into two gender-neutral-designated bathrooms, the superintendent said Friday.

The two windows were installed in recent weeks following a vote in August of the South Western School District’s conservative-majority school board, a move the board president said was designed to monitor and prevent misbehavior. Such openings weren’t installed in any of the school’s non-gender-neutral bathrooms.

The openings were covered by plywood on Thursday on the advice of lawyers from the Harrisburg-based Independence Law Center, a conservative legal group the board consulted before ordering the windows installed, Superintendent Jay Burkhart said.

“I believe that we have to protect all of our students,” Burkhart said in a phone interview. “Students are entitled to privacy and I don’t want to violate that.”

The board “has been targeting transgender students and stripping away their rights for a while,” said Kristina Moon, a lawyer with the Philadelphia-based Education Law Center, which has asked affected students to reach out to it. She said the “multiple tiers and assignments” of bathrooms “overcomplicated a nonissue,” stigmatizing students.

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“Now they’ve cut actual holes for windows into the student bathrooms — but only the bathrooms they expect trans and nonbinary children to use. This is a horrifying violation of children’s privacy and cruel discrimination targeted against trans and nonbinary kids,” Moon said in an emailed statement.

The mother of an eighth-grader at Emory H. Markle Middle School in Hanover said Friday that she considered the decision to cover up the windows “a small victory.”

Jennifer Holahan, who drew attention to the bathroom window openings by posting a photo on social media, said she’s “nervous to see” what happens at a meeting next week of the conservative-majority school board.

“This has been a continuing agenda that they’ve had,” Holahan said in a phone interview. “They’ve proved this more than once. I think this is the first time that the school board president has been shut down. And I just wonder what’s to come from that.”

School board president Matthew A. Gelazela, elected as a Libertarian in 2021, told a reporter seeking comment Friday that he considered the call to be criminal harassment and abruptly hung up.

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Earlier this week, Gelazela issued a statement defending the bathroom windows as a safety improvement — that “in making the area outside of stalls more viewable, we are better able to monitor for a multitude of prohibited activities such as any possible vaping, drug use, bullying or absenteeism,” the Evening Sun of Hanover reported.

Gelazela’s statement also warned students that they should not consider the bathroom areas outside of the toilet stalls to be private.

Markle Middle School Principal Wes Winters directed questions about the bathroom windows to Gelazela. Board member Justin Lighty declined to discuss the matter, while several other board members and the board’s lawyer didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

In an emailed statement, the ACLU of Pennsylvania described the school board’s policy as discriminatory and one that makes children less safe. The South Western School District has about 4,400 students.

The York Dispatch reported this week that the board has been looking into LGBTQ+ students and bathrooms for more than a year, acting on concerns from unspecified people to establish five bathroom categories: male and female based on sex assigned at birth, male and female based on gender identity, and single-user facilities that are deemed gender neutral.

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Gelazela said during an Aug. 14 board meeting that the windows were part of bathroom changes meant to bolster privacy, the Dispatch reported. The vote was 6-3 in favor of adding the windows, though the Evening Sun reported that work had already begun when the vote was taken.

Holahan said the window openings not only allowed people in the hallway to peer into the bathrooms, they also let noises from the bathrooms be heard. Burkhart, the superintendent, said the two gender neutral bathrooms have not been a particular problem for the type of misbehavior Gelazela cited. The renovations cost $8,700, Burkhart said.

At least 11 states have adopted laws barring transgender girls and women from using girls and women’s bathrooms at public schools, and in some cases other government facilities.

As for Pennsylvania, the Education Law Center wrote in a January analysis that federal appeals courts have ruled students have a right to use bathrooms and locker rooms aligned with their gender identity. Moon, a senior lawyer for the center, said all children have the right to use an easily accessible bathroom convenient to their classes that affords them true privacy and does not discriminate based on sex and gender identity.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania state trooper hit by vehicle in Somerset County

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Pennsylvania state trooper hit by vehicle in Somerset County


A state trooper was hit by a vehicle in Somerset County.

Somerset County District Attorney Molly Metzgar said the trooper was trying to help a disabled vehicle on Route 31 westbound when they were hit on Saturday.

According to our partners at WJAC, the trooper suffered injuries to their head, leg and pelvis.

The trooper has been released from the hospital.

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“This is a stark reminder of the dangers that our first responders face on a daily basis. I encourage everyone to life the trooper and his family up in their thoughts and prayers,” Metzgar said.

Officials said the trooper still has “a long way to go” before returning to duty.

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Pennsylvania’s Game-Changing Rail Freight Revamp Is Here—East Penn Railroad Leads the Charge – MyChesCo

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Pennsylvania’s Game-Changing Rail Freight Revamp Is Here—East Penn Railroad Leads the Charge – MyChesCo


HARRISBURG, PA — Rail freight in Pennsylvania is on the brink of transformation, with $55 million approved to fund 30 vital improvement projects. These initiatives promise to boost economic development, enhance freight mobility, and create or sustain 344 jobs across the state. Among the standout ventures, East Penn Railroad, LLC’s $455,000 project to rehabilitate eight bridges is poised to deliver significant benefits to Chester, Montgomery, Berks, and York Counties.

Strengthening Pennsylvania’s Freight Backbone

With 65 operating railroads spanning approximately 5,600 miles, Pennsylvania’s freight system is unmatched in its scale and importance. It is the backbone of the state’s economy, connecting local industries to national and global markets. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), in collaboration with private rail operators and local businesses, has prioritized modernization through programs like the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP).

“Expanding and improving Pennsylvania’s rail freight network will support family-sustaining jobs and connect Pennsylvania communities to the global economy while bolstering local economic development,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “These investments will create opportunities for generations of Pennsylvanians to come and will provide key mobility across the Commonwealth.”

Spotlight on East Penn Railroad

The East Penn Railroad project exemplifies the power of targeted infrastructure investment. The company will rehabilitate eight bridges across the Octoraro, Perkiomen, Lancaster Northern, and York branch lines—critical routes for businesses and industries in Chester, Montgomery, Berks, and York Counties. These bridges are essential for the safe and efficient transportation of goods, and their rehabilitation will ensure that local businesses have the reliable infrastructure they need to thrive.

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The funding will address aging infrastructure that has long hampered performance and safety. Once complete, these improvements will facilitate smoother operations, reduced delays, and greater capacity for freight transport. For local communities, this means more robust economic growth driven by increased business activity and better connections to other markets.

Building a Better Freight Future

East Penn’s effort is just one of 30 projects approved for funding, each addressing specific challenges within Pennsylvania’s rail network.

Some of the other key projects include:

  • CSX Transportation, Inc. ($13.1M) to rehabilitate the 25th Street Viaduct in Philadelphia, a crucial freight artery.
  • Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway ($5.8M) to improve six bridges across Allegheny, Washington, Fayette, and Westmoreland Counties, ensuring long-term safety and reliability.
  • NorthPoint Development, LLC ($3.8M) for Kinder Morgan terminal rail yard expansion in Bucks County, adding over 13,000 feet of new track to boost industrial capacity.

Each of these initiatives will address bottlenecks, improve efficiency, and position Pennsylvania as a leader in freight innovation.

Why It Matters

Improving freight infrastructure isn’t just a convenience—it’s an economic imperative. For businesses, reliable rail transport lowers costs, increases efficiency, and enhances competitiveness in global markets. For workers, these projects create good-paying jobs during construction and unlock new opportunities for long-term employment in logistics and adjacent industries.

East Penn Railroad’s project, in particular, underscores how smart infrastructure investment can ripple outward. By ensuring that critical bridges are safe and reliable, the company will help make Chester, Montgomery, Berks, and York Counties more competitive while bolstering the local economy.

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Beyond the immediate economic benefits, these rail freight improvements also align with environmental goals. Rail transport is significantly more fuel-efficient than road freight, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. By expanding and modernizing Pennsylvania’s rail system, these projects signal a commitment to sustainable growth.

A Commitment to Progress

The Shapiro Administration and the General Assembly have demonstrated a shared commitment to infrastructure as a foundation for progress. Pennsylvania’s rail freight industry isn’t just about moving goods; it’s about creating a future where communities and businesses can flourish.

Pennsylvania’s bold leap forward on rail freight projects marks a turning point for the state. With East Penn Railroad paving the way, the Commonwealth is creating a more connected, competitive, and sustainable future for all.

For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.



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A Pa. utility shutoff law is expiring. Here’s what you need to know

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A Pa. utility shutoff law is expiring. Here’s what you need to know


Have a question about Philly’s neighborhoods or the systems that shape them? PlanPhilly reporters want to hear from you! Ask us a question or send us a story idea you think we should cover.

A Pennsylvania law that lays out how and when utility companies can shut off customers’ electricity, gas or water expires Dec. 31.

But the state’s ban on shutoffs for low-income customers during the winter months and other protections will continue uninterrupted.

“The message that we’ve been hoping that people really hear is not to panic,” said Elizabeth Marx, executive director of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project.

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Utility shutoffs are an experience many Pennsylvania households deal with. In the first 10 months of 2024, utilities in the state disconnected more than 300,000 households and reconnected fewer than three-quarters of them.

In Philadelphia, one in four low-income households spends at least 16% of its income on energy bills — an energy burden that’s considered severe. Black and Hispanic households in Philadelphia spend more of their income on energy than households overall, and national surveys have shown non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic households are disconnected from utility service at higher rates than non-Hispanic white households.

Here’s what you need to know about the sunsetting statute. 

Pa.’s ban on shutoffs for low-income customers during the winter continues

Pennsylvania’s winter shutoff moratorium will continue even after the law expires, because this and other protections are duplicated in another part of state code.

Between the frigid months of December through March, public utilities in Pennsylvania are restricted from terminating low-income customers’ service for nonpayment without permission from the Public Utility Commission.

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Water utilities cannot terminate heat-related service during this time period.

Gas and electric utilities cannot terminate service for households earning below $3,137 monthly for an individual or $6,500 for a family of four, based on the 2024 federal poverty guidelines.

“We understand the importance of these protections to Pennsylvanians and remain committed to balancing the needs of consumers and utilities,” said Stephen DeFrank, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission chairman, in a statement.

There is a partial exception for city gas utilities, which can terminate service for households earning $1,882 to $3,137 monthly for an individual or $3,900 to $6,500 for a family of four, during part of the winter under certain circumstances.

If you can’t pay your utility bills in full, Marx recommends making at least some payment, because utilities consider a positive payment history when setting up payment plans.

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“Paying what you can, when you can, is very important, especially even through the winter, when the winter moratorium is in place,” she said.



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