Our friends at the ACLU of Maine, EqualityMaine, and GLAD Law have teamed up to provide comprehensive guides for students, staff, and families to know their rights ahead of the new school year. There are overviews of LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant rights, freedom of speech, and more.

Here’s an excerpt of what’s new in 2026 from ACLU of Maine:

Maine’s new ICE Out of Schools and State Healthcare law provides important protections for immigrant students and families. It requires school staff to deny federal immigration agents access to private spaces and private information unless agents present a valid judicial warrant. This empowers frontline employees to protect the people they serve. The law applies to all public schools, charter schools, public pre-K programs, public colleges and universities, state libraries, and state healthcare facilities.

 

The guide also responds to a recent Supreme Court decision, West Virginia v. BPJ. The Court ruled that states can ban trans students from school sports – but the decision does not change anything here in Maine. State law still protects against discrimination based on gender identity and protects the trans students’ right to participate in school activities consistent with their gender identity.

These guides are definitely worth a read for anyone going back to school, or anyone who cares about students’ rights. We can only exercise our rights when we know our rights, so stay informed!