The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) and the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) claim the district’s new gender identity policy is unconstitutional and that they will sue the district if it ever applies the policy to transition a child without parental consent.
The new policy, which was passed 6-1 by the Rochester School Board last month, requires staff at Rochester Public Schools to disclose information about the student’s gender identity to the student’s parent or guardian if they request it.
The policy does not require staff to inform parents that their student is expressing a different gender identity than what they were assigned at birth, but it also does nothing to prevent staff from informing parents, regardless of whether they request the information or not.
“We urge the district to rescind this policy for the sake of parental rights and the care of their children. We also encourage parents to request to opt out of this program, to ensure they have proper supervision to support their children.”
In a press release, the law firms claim recognizes the constitution gives parents the “inherent right to direct the upbringing and education of children under their control”, & that the district’s new policy violates that right.
ABC 6 reached out to RPS for a comment on the potential lawsuit, and they provided us with this statement:
“Rochester Public Schools worked closely with our legal counsel to develop Procedure 413A, and we are confident that it fully aligns with current state and federal laws, regulations, and guidance. In addition to meeting all legal requirements, we have adopted a common-sense approach to a complex issue that supports our students, parents and guardians, and staff.”
