UPDATE: School Responds to Same Sex Partner Benefits Discrimination Claim

In last week's Case of the Week, I blogged about a lawsuit filed against the State College Area School District alleging unconstitutional discrimination against same sex domestic partners. In short, the school provides certain benefits to unmarried opposite-sex domestic partners, but expressly excludes same-sex partners. The Centre Daily Times reports that the school district has issued a response.

In an email, a spokesperson explains that the "policy" is a result of "collective bargaining between the board and the State College Area Educational Association." Accordingly, the district cannot unilaterally change this term for individual members. If the association brings it to the bargaining table, the district will consider it.