| | Sec. 21. 5 MRSA §4602, sub-§4 is enacted to read: |
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| | 4.__Unlawful education discrimination on the basis of sexual | orientation.__It is unlawful education discrimination in | violation of this Act, on the basis of sexual orientation, to: |
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| A.__Exclude a person from participation in, deny a person | the benefits of or subject a person to discrimination in any | academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training | or other program or activity; |
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| B.__Deny a person equal opportunity in athletic programs; |
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| C.__Apply any rule concerning the actual or potential family | or marital status of a person or to exclude any person from | any program or activity because of their sexual orientation; |
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| D.__Deny admission to the institution or program or to fail | to provide equal access to any information about an | institution or program through recruitment; or |
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| E.__Deny financial assistance availability and opportunity. |
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| The provisions in this subsection relating to sexual orientation | do not apply to any education facility owned, controlled or | operated by a bona fide religious corporation, association or | society. |
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| | Sec. 22. 5 MRSA §4612, sub-§4, ķA, as amended by PL 1993, c. 303, §2, | is further amended to read: |
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| A. If the commission finds reasonable grounds to believe | that unlawful discrimination has occurred, and further | believes that irreparable injury or great inconvenience will | be caused the victim of such discrimination or to members of | a racial, color, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental | disability, religious, or nationality group or age group if | relief is not immediately granted, or if conciliation | efforts under subsection 3 have not succeeded, the | commission may file in the Superior Court a civil action | seeking such relief as is appropriate, including temporary | restraining orders. |
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| | This bill forbids the denial of rights in employment, housing, | public accommodations, credit and education opportunity to | individuals based on their sexual orientation. |
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