A group of parents have filed a lawsuit asking a judge to declare the Madison school district’s transgender guidance unconstitutional.
The conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed the lawsuit on the parents’ behalf Tuesday in Dane County Circuit Court.
“Madison schools have adopted policies that violate constitutionally recognized parental rights. A public school district should not, and cannot, make decisions reserved for parents,” said WILL President and General Counsel Rick Esenberg in a Tuesday press release.
Stay informed on the latest news
Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.
The parents allege the school district’s policy of allowing children to change their names according to the sex they identify with, without informing parents or changing the children’s names in school records violates the Wisconsin Constitution’s due process clause and religious freedom guarantees.
The district has not reviewed the lawsuit yet, said spokesperson Tim LeMonds, but has issued a statement:
“Madison Metropolitan School District prioritizes working in collaboration with families to support our students and it is always our preferred method of support. MMSD must also prioritize the safety and wellbeing of every individual student who walks through its doors each day. It is with this focus, the district stands by its guidance document on transgender and non-binary students, and recognizes its tremendous responsibility to uphold the right of every child to be educated in a safe, all-inclusive and nondiscriminatory learning environment.”
Editor’s note: This story will be updated.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
