School district warned about gender issues: lawsuit could be coming

Posted at 11:30 a.m. on May 19, 2021

The Brillion News

DOUSMAN - The Kettle Moraine School District has been warned about allowing a child to change gender identity without parental consent and over parental objections.

In a May 18 letter to the school board president and district superintendent, attorneys for the conservative activist law firm WILL (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty) gave the district until September 15 to change the policy or face a lawsuit.

The district previously refused to share its policy on a child's gender identification following a public records request.

"The District's policy on this issue appears to be unwritten," attorneys Luke Berg and Roger Brooks wrote. "Undersigned counsel likewise was unable to find any written policy on this topic on the District's website."

The case began when a couple pulled their daughter from Kettle Moraince public schools when the district told them it would allow her to change her gender identity at school against their wishes.

"Changing gender identity is a huge decision, especially at a young age," WILL attorney Luke Berg said. "Parents can and should be involved. And they have a right to expect that school officials will respect their decision about what is best for their child,"

"School districts may not make serious, life-altering decisions for children without the knowledge and consent of parents," WILL attorney Roger Brooks said.

The letter to the school district outlines numerous arguments that could be used in the lawsuit if the district refuses to change its practices on gender identity and parental rights.

The letter also cites the World Professional Assoiciation for Transgender Health, which calls for health professionals to defer to parents on a child's gender identity.

"No p[arent should have to go through what the [parents of this child] went through," the letter to the school officials said. "No parent should be forced to withdraw their child from public school to preserve their parental role and protect their child."

WILL maintains that school officials even told the girl that her parents were wrong, actively undermining parental authority.