A coalition of conservative parents is suing a Wisconsin school district over its trans-inclusive policies that allow students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. Wisconsin has no state law banning trans people from doing so.

New Richmond Parents for Strong Schools (NRPSS) filed its lawsuit on April 10th, only a month after it formed, against the New Richmond School District, accusing the district of violating Title IX.

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“This case seeks to protect the right of girls to privacy, dignity, and equal access to school facilities,” the suit states, claiming the district “has violated those protections by enforcing a policy that allows male students to use girls’ bathrooms based on gender identity rather than biological sex.”

NRPSS also claims that “female students” have been paying the price as they “now avoid restrooms, miss class time, and experience anxiety and loss of privacy, while being directed to use separate, single-stall bathrooms if they are uncomfortable.” The suit continuously misgenders trans girls as boys or males.

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The group also discusses the experiences of several members’ daughters. One student, referred to as A.D., allegedly feels “significant discomfort” whenever she uses the bathroom because there is a trans student who also uses it.

“A.D. reported that the student frequently remains in the restroom beyond simply using the facilities,” the suit said, going on to explain behavior typical of any girl in a bathroom: “The student stands at the mirror adjusting hair and makeup, adjusting bra padding, and using a cell phone, and the student has been observed using the phone camera.”

“Due to use of the cell phone, A.D. is concerned that the male student in the girls’ bathroom may be taking photos or videos of the female students,” the suit states, without any evidence this is actually happening or any explanation of why cis girls doing it would be any better.

It also claims A.D. has a right to kick the trans girl out of the bathroom because the student is taller and “physically larger” than most of the girls, which makes them feel unsafe.

The suit comes after the Department of Education (ED) announced in March it was investigating the New Richmond School District for “allowing biological men to use female restrooms.” The current administration has weaponized the ED to investigate and threaten schools with trans-inclusive policies.

NRPSS is represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. “Girls should feel safe at school and their privacy should be respected,” Deputy Counsel Cory Brewer said in a statement. “New Richmond schools left parents and young girls no choice but to go to court and sue to end this ridiculous policy allowing biological boys into the girls’ bathroom.”

A high school junior in the district, Ella Frei, who is involved in the lawsuit, also spoke out against trans inclusion: “Protecting girls by not allowing boys in the girls’ bathroom shouldn’t be controversial – it should be common sense,” she said. “We are not going to abandon our identity as girls or ignore the real privacy concerns the school district has forced on us.”

The bylaws of NRPSS state its sole purpose is to “preserve sex-segregated bathrooms and locker rooms” in Wisconsin public schools and “to protect children… from being forced to share private spaces… with members of the opposite biological sex.”

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