Abington Township Human Relations Commission

10/21/2026

LGBTQ+ kids & allies in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to join Rainbow Connections! Parents & caregivers are encouraged to attend this child-centered program. Meet new friends and talk about LGBTQ+ themed books and topics in a safe space.

This month, our special guest is Katherine Locke, author and president of Authors Against Book Bans. They will read and talk about their book What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns and about book bans. Children will create artwork centered around pronouns.

Registration for this event opens Monday, October 26 at 9:30 AM.

Abington Township Public Library

https://abingtonfreelibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/rainbow-connections-grades-k-5-45/

10/09/2026

Abington United was a powerful reminder of what community can look like in the face of hate.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Glenside Weldon Park to stand with our Jewish and Black neighbors, reject antisemitism and racism, and reaffirm that everyone in Abington deserves to feel safe, respected, and that they belong.

We are grateful to Commissioners Matt Vahey and Lori Schreiber, Abington School Board President Melissa Mowry, our community leaders and speakers, Township and School District representatives, the Abington Township Police Dept., PA the Glenside Civic Association, and the many neighbors and partners who helped make this gathering possible.

A special thank you to Abington High School’s M3 for their moving performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and to Commissioner John Spiegelman for helping ensure accessibility through the presence of an ASL interpreter from DHCC.

What happened at the playground caused harm beyond the physical damage. Hate directed at one part of our community affects all of us. But Thursday evening showed something stronger: Abington shows up for one another.

This gathering cannot be the end of the conversation. The Abington Township Human Relations Commission remains committed to education, dialogue, advocacy, and supporting residents who experience discrimination.

Abington United was one evening. Building a community where everyone belongs is the work we carry forward together.
Willow Grove Naacp Abington School District abingtontownship Abington for Peace Senator Art Haywood

10/09/2026

Abington United. ❤️

Last night, our community showed what it means to choose unity and reject hate.

Neighbors, families, educators, faith leaders, community leaders, and public officials came together at Glenside Weldon Park with a shared message: hate has no home in Abington.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, stood together, and helped demonstrate the strength of a community committed to dignity, belonging, respect, and one another.

This rally may have lasted an hour, but the work continues. May we carry this same spirit of unity into our schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, and everyday interactions.

We are Abington. We stand together. We choose unity. We reject hate.

10/08/2026

Standing for injustice- Weldon Playground Glenside

10/06/2026

Abington is a community where everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and respected.

Please join the Abington Human Relations Commission, Abington Township, Abington School District, and community partners for Abington United: Choose Unity. Reject Hate.

In response to recent antisemitic and anti-Black graffiti in our community, we’re coming together to stand against hate in all its forms and affirm our shared values of dignity, belonging, and respect.

📅 Thursday, October 8
⏰ 5:30–6:30 PM
📍 Glenside Weldon Park – Easton & Parkdale

Come stand with your neighbors. There is no place for hate in Abington.

10/04/2026

I hope you’ll join us Thursday evening as we reclaim Glenside Weldon Park from hate and fill that space instead with community, solidarity, and care for one another.

What happened at the playground was deeply disturbing, but it does not define who we are. Our response can.

We are grateful to stand alongside Township officials, School District representatives, faith leaders, community organizations, APD, and neighbors as we affirm that antisemitism, anti-Black racism, and hate in any form have no place in Abington.

Thursday, October 8 | 5:30–6:30 PM
Glenside Weldon Park

Abington United: Choose Unity. Reject Hate.

I was deeply saddened to see hateful graffiti defacing the Glenside Weldon playground. These messages, and those responsible for them, do not reflect the values of Glenside or the broader Abington community. We are a community built on respect, inclusion, and love for our neighbors.

Just a few years ago, Glenside residents came together to raise funds to purchase new equipment and rebuild this playground so that our children would have a welcoming and safe place to play. That collective effort reflected the very best of who we are.

We cannot allow an act of hate to define this space or our community. Instead, let us respond as we always have: together. Let the spirit of unity, generosity, and mutual respect that rebuilt this playground prevail over this unacceptable display of hate.

We will gather as a community on Thursday, October 8, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Glenside Weldon Park to reject hate, stand in solidarity with our neighbors, and reaffirm our commitment to a welcoming community for all. I invite everyone to join us as we demonstrate that hate has no home here and that our community is stronger than those who seek to divide it.

10/03/2026

The Abington Township Human Relations Commission strongly condemns the antisemitic and anti-Black graffiti discovered at a Township playground, including a sw****ka and a deeply offensive racial slur.

Symbols and language intended to demean, intimidate, or dehumanize people because of their race or religion have no place in our community — and particularly no place in a public space created for children and families.

Abington Township Ordinance No. 2029 affirms our community’s commitment to equality and equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination based on characteristics including race, color, religious creed, and ancestry. The Human Relations Commission’s mission is grounded in the recognition of the inherent dignity and worth of every person and in the belief that all members of our community deserve equality, respect, and equal protection under the law.
Incidents such as this also remind us that creating a community free from hate is not solely the responsibility of government, law enforcement, schools, or organizations. It is a responsibility we share.

“No Hate” is more than a message we express after an incident occurs. It requires each of us to challenge racism, antisemitism, and other forms of hatred when we encounter them; to talk openly with our children and one another about the harm these words and symbols cause; and to help build a culture in which respect for our neighbors is expected.

The Abington Township Police Department is investigating this incident, and we appreciate their response. While that investigation proceeds, we encourage our community not to speculate about those responsible, but instead to be unequivocal about the values we expect our community to uphold.

Hate may have been written in one of our public spaces, but it does not define that space and it does not define Abington.

Each of us has a role in cultivating a community where everyone knows they belong. There is no place for hate here.

10/02/2026

The Abington Human Relations Commission joins the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in recognizing October as ADHD Awareness Month. 🧡

Inclusion starts with understanding—and grows through action. In our schools, workplaces, and community, that means listening to people with ADHD, challenging assumptions, and supporting access to the tools and accommodations they need to thrive.

Everyone deserves to feel respected, supported, and included in Abington.

🌟 October is ADHD Awareness Month!🌟
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions, impacting children, teens, and adults. This month, we’re raising awareness, encouraging understanding, and helping break down stigma surrounding ADHD.

ADHD doesn’t define anyone — it’s just one part of their story. With greater awareness and acceptance, we can build communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

09/21/2026

🌟 Meet the Newest Member of the Abington HRC! 🌟

We’re excited to conclude our Abington Human Relations Commission Member Spotlight series by welcoming our newest HRC member, Alexander Barbiero!

Alexander joins the Commission in its ongoing work to foster a community rooted in respect, inclusion, equity, understanding, and belonging. We’re excited to have a new voice and perspective at the table as we continue creating opportunities for dialogue, connection, and engagement throughout Abington Township.

Please join us in giving Alexander a warm welcome to the Abington Human Relations Commission!

While this may be the final introduction in our current Meet the Members series, there’s much more to come from the HRC. We look forward to continuing to highlight our work, our community, and the people who make Abington stronger.

09/16/2026

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to register.

VETERANS & EQUAL PROTECTION: PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS

What happens when discrimination occurs in a place that serves the public?

Restaurants, stores, hotels, theaters, recreational facilities, and many other businesses and facilities open to the public can fall within the concept of a public accommodation.

Pennsylvania’s Human Relations Act prohibits certain discrimination in public accommodations based on protected characteristics. However, veteran status, standing alone, is not independently listed among the PHRA’s protected-class bases for public accommodations.

That distinction is important.

A veteran who is denied access or treated differently because of a disability may have protections under applicable disability and civil-rights laws. But treatment based solely on veteran status is different: the PHRA does not independently identify veteran status as the protected basis.

Veterans may therefore have civil-rights protections because of another protected characteristic even when veteran status itself is not independently protected in that setting.

The reason someone is treated differently can determine which civil-rights law applies.

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

Source: Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), public-accommodation discrimination and complaint guidance.