On Sept. 9, the Wisconsin LGBTQ+ advocacy groups Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights against the Kettle Moraine School District for allegedly fostering a hostile environment by violating new Title IX regulations, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.
Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Abigail Swetz said, “Our children are watching, and when elected school board members weaponize the identity of some of our most vulnerable children, we must take action to stop them. We must show the children of Wisconsin — our trans and nonbinary kids and all of their peers — that we are ready to protect their rights and ensure their safety.”
The Kettle Moraine complaint coincides with federal complaints also filed Sept. 9 against school districts in Arizona and Pennsylvania for alleged similar Title IX violations.
Title IX bans discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs that receive funding from the federal government. New guidelines passed in April by the Department of Education include gender identity and sexual presentation in the definition of sex-based discrimination.
Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE are urging people who notice school board actions that create hostile environments in a district to contact them; email testimony@fairwisconsin.com or call 608-441-0143.