Mt. Horeb School Drops Book On Transgender Identity Following Lawsuit Threat

A Dane County school was threatened with a lawsuit after a children’s book about a transgender girl was added to the curriculum.

The picture book “I Am Jazz” explains what it means to be transgender. Mt. Horeb Primary Center announced plans to read the book in some classrooms to support one of the school’s transgender students. Parents could opt their child out of participating.

But religious freedom group Liberty Counsel threatened to sue the school if it went forward with the plan. Mat Staver, the organization’s director, said the book is inappropriate for elementary school students.

“Parents should not have the burden of opting their child out,” Staver said. “That then makes them feel that they’re the odd ones, and why will they need to be forced out of the classroom?”

Mt. Horeb Area School District officials declined to be interviewed, but said in a statement that the school has abandoned plans to read the book and has asked the district Board of Education to review the situation.