(WBAY) – Two advocacy groups, Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE, announced Thursday they’ve filed a federal complaint against four Wisconsin school districts.
The two groups say the Winneconne Community School District, Muskego-Norway Schools, the School District of Abbotsford, and Hartford Union High School District have fostered a “hostile” environment in violation of Title IX.
Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE said they filed the complaints with the Office for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education on behalf of trans and nonbinary students, educators, staff, and families.
Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE said Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including discrimination on the basis of gender identity, in all education programs that receive funding from the federal government.
Regulations that make clear the inclusion of gender identity went into effect on August 1, 2024, although federal courts have recognized in Wisconsin that Title IX extends to gender identity since 2017.
Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE says while an injunction that delays immediate implementation of these regulations due to an out-of-state lawsuit affects some schools in Wisconsin, school districts, as separate entities, are not enjoined.
Action 2 News has reached out to the school districts for comment.
The School District of Abbotsford said:
“Under advice of legal counsel we are unable to comment at least until we have received the Complaint and had an opportunity to review it with legal counsel.”
The Hartford Union High School District said:
“The Hartford Union High School District (HUHS) received communication from GSAFE in the evening of October 8th, 2024. The communication shared that Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE filed a joint complaint against four school districts, including HUHS, to the Office for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education. As of October 10, 2024 at 10:00 A.M., the District has not received any communication or complaint from the Office of Civil Rights.
The Hartford Union High School District strongly believes in our practices, procedures, and policies that support all students. Please see the Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination section of our webpage for additional information.”
Winneconne Community School District said:
“Based on the advice of our District counsel, we are unable to provide a comment at this time.”
Action 2 News has yet to receive a response from the other school district named in the press release. This story will be updated if Muskego-Norway Schools provides a statement.
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