Pfeiffer v. School Board for Marion Center Area School District
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
917 F.2d 779 (1990)
- Written by Ann Wooster, JD
Facts
Arlene Pfeiffer (plaintiff) was a high-achieving female student elected to her public high school’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS). Pfeiffer became pregnant during her junior year and informed guidance counselors and the principal, who encouraged Pfeiffer to continue school and graduate. Faculty council members subsequently voted unanimously by secret ballot to dismiss the unmarried Pfeiffer from the NHS chapter due to her engagement in premarital sexual activity, which failed to uphold the high character standards necessary for maintenance of membership. Pfeiffer’s parents appealed the council’s determination to the School Board for the Marion Center Area School District (school board) (defendant). The parents and their counsel attended a public meeting with the school board, and the school board ultimately affirmed the decision to dismiss Pfeiffer from the NHS chapter. Pfeiffer brought suit in district court against the school board to challenge the decision to exclude a pregnant female student from a federally funded extracurricular activity as gender discrimination in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The district court excluded testimony offered by a male student member of the same NHS chapter regarding his known engagement in premarital sexual conduct that did not result in dismissal from the chapter. The district court found that Pfeiffer was dismissed from the NHS chapter because of a failure to uphold the membership standards by engaging in premarital sex, not because of her pregnancy. Pfeiffer appealed the district court’s determination.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Aldisert, J.)
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