Wisconsin’s second-largest school district so far won’t back off a policy of keeping minor students’ transgender experimentation secret from their parents despite a new lawsuit filed Tuesday.
A group of parents represented by Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty sued after the Madison Metropolitan School District refused to alter its policy of concealing childrens’ transgender behavior and related medical records from parents, no matter how young the child is. The district oversees children as young as preschoolers, and teaches gender identity politics to all ages, which research suggests may contribute to children identifying as transgender.
Among other things, the district’s policy at the heart of the lawsuit states: “School staff shall not disclose any information that may reveal a student’s gender identity to others, including parents or guardians and other school staff, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure.” It also says school staff will “discuss with the student contingency plans in the event that their privacy is compromised.”
Fourteen parents of children who attend Madison schools sued on grounds the policy violates their parental rights and longstanding requirements for parent approval of much less affecting activities such as attending prom and taking Tylenol. One of their court filings notes the district’s deceptions include “to evade the state law that requires Wisconsin schools to give parents access to all education records, the [Gender Support Plan] form directs teachers to keep this paperwork ‘in your confidential files, not in student records.’”
