<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="26-704" title_number="26" title_name="Prohibitions and Penalties" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Discrimination in Education">
  <level label="a">
    <text>This section applies to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A county board;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A public prekindergarten program;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A public primary or secondary school;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>A nonpublic prekindergarten program that receives State funds; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>A nonpublic primary or secondary school that receives State funds.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>An entity listed under subsection (a) of this section may not:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Discriminate against a current student, a prospective student, or the parent or guardian of a current or prospective student on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Refuse enrollment of a prospective student, expel a current student, or withhold privileges from a current student, a prospective student, or the parent or guardian of a current or prospective student because of an individual’s race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Discipline, invoke a penalty against, or take any other retaliatory action against a student or parent or guardian of a student who files a complaint alleging that the program or school discriminated against the student, regardless of the outcome of the complaint.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>An entity listed under subsection (a) of this section shall print in its student handbook the following statement:</text>
    <text>“It is the policy of the State of Maryland that all public and publicly funded schools and school programs operate in compliance with: </text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Title 26, Subtitle 7 of the Education Article of the Maryland Code, which states that public and publicly funded schools and programs may not:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Discriminate against a current student, a prospective student, or the parent or guardian of a current or prospective student on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Refuse enrollment of a prospective student, expel a current student, or withhold privileges from a current student, a prospective student, or the parent or guardian of a current or prospective student because of an individual’s race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Discipline, invoke a penalty against, or take any other retaliatory action against a student or parent or guardian of a student who files a complaint alleging that the program or school discriminated against the student, regardless of the outcome of the complaint.”.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
