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US Supreme Court rejects Wisconsin parents’ challenge to school guidance for transgender students

U.S. Supreme Court
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The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Wisconsin parents who wanted to challenge a school district’s guidance for supporting transgender students.

The justices, acting in a case from Eau Claire, left in place an appellate ruling dismissing the parents’ lawsuit.

Three justices, Samuel AlitoBrett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas, would have heard the case. That’s one short of what is needed for full review by the Supreme Court.

Parents with children in Eau Claire public schools argued in a lawsuit that the school district’s policy violates constitutional protections for parental rights and religious freedom.

Sixteen Republican-led states had urged the court to take up the parents’ case.

Lower courts had found that the parents lacked the legal right, or standing. Among other reasons, the courts said no parent presented evidence that the policy affected them or their children.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals included two judges Republican Donald Trump appointed during his first term.

But Alito described the case as presenting “a question of great and growing national importance,” whether public school districts violate parents’ rights when they encourage students to transition or assist in the process without parental consent or knowledge.

“Administrative Guidance for Gender Identity Support” encourages transgender students to reach out to staff members with concerns and instructs employees to be careful who they talk to about a student’s gender identity, since not all students are “out” to their families.

Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletter to get our investigative stories and Friday news roundup. This story is published in partnership with The Associated Press.

US Supreme Court rejects Wisconsin parents’ challenge to school guidance for transgender students is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

LGBTQ+ groups plan to file federal complaint against another Wisconsin school district

Two Wisconsin LGBTQ+ advocacy groups are planning to file a federal civil rights complaint against another Wisconsin school district over this district’s recent shift to more restrictive policies for transgender students.

The post LGBTQ+ groups plan to file federal complaint against another Wisconsin school district appeared first on WPR.

Federal complaint filed against Waukesha School District after ‘gender’ removed from policies

Two Wisconsin LGBTQ+ advocacy groups filed a federal civil rights complaint against the School District of Waukesha, alleging officials there are fostering a hostile environment by violating Title IX.

The post Federal complaint filed against Waukesha School District after ‘gender’ removed from policies appeared first on WPR.

Has Tammy Baldwin supported ‘sex change surgeries’ for children?

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Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

No.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., has not stated support for gender-affirming surgeries for minors.

A claim about Baldwin supporting “sex change surgeries” for children was made in an Oct. 8, 2024, ad from the Senate Leadership Fund, a conservative super PAC.

It alluded to Baldwin saying transgender kids deserve to “get the health care they need.”

Her October 2023 post included one by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who promised to veto legislation (vetoed in December) that would have banned medical transition for minors.

Baldwin’s campaign said Baldwin supported the veto because doctors could have been disciplined even for counseling LGBTQ+ youths.

The fund cited to Wisconsin Watch instances of Baldwin supporting gender-affirming care, defined by the World Health Organization as social, psychological, or medical interventions, including surgery, to “affirm an individual’s gender identity.”

In Wisconsin, transgender care for children is prescribed with parental involvement. It involves no medication until puberty and no surgery in most cases until adulthood.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Senate Leadership Fund: SLF: “What Happened” 30s – WI

Google Docs: Screenshot of Senate Leadership Fund 10/8/24 Baldwin ad

Open Secrets: Senate Leadership Fund

X: Sen. Tammy Baldwin on X: “Trans kids deserve to feel safe and welcome in Wisconsin, not discriminated against. They deserve the freedom to just be kids, play sports, and get the health care they need,

X: Gov. Tony Evers post

Wisconsin Watch: Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoes trans youth care ban

Google Docs: Tammy Baldwin campaign email 10/11/24

Google Docs: Senate Leadership Fund email 10/9/24

World Health Organization: Gender incongruence and transgender health in the ICD

Advocate: Republican opponent attacks out Sen. Tammy Baldwin by lying about her support of gender-affirming care

The Guardian: Wisconsin Senate race tightens as rival attacks Baldwin over LGBTQ+ support

Semafor: Anti-trans ads didn’t work in 2022. Republicans think this time will be different.

Wisconsin Republican Party: ICYMI: Tammy Baldwin continues crusade against biological females — honored by advocates of gender transition treatments for children

Has Tammy Baldwin supported ‘sex change surgeries’ for children? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Did Tammy Baldwin fund a transgender clinic for youths?

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

No.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., directed $400,000 in 2024 federal spending to Briarpatch Youth Services, a Madison, Wisconsin-area nonprofit.

Republican Eric Hovde, Baldwin’s opponent in the Nov. 5 election, alluded to the earmark in claiming that Baldwin “gave all of our money to a transgender clinic … that does this without notifying parents.”

Briarpatch provides counseling, shelter, job assistance and other services to runaway and homeless youths.  

It’s not a transgender clinic.

Briarpatch says its Teens Like Us program supports “queer youth ages 13-18.”

Fox News’ March report on the earmark said Briarpatch’s website said clients did not need parental permission to join Teens Like Us.

A Wall Street Journal op-ed reported that after the Fox News report, Briarpatch removed from its website references to clothing that help transgender people adapt their appearance to their gender identity.

Briarpatch told Wisconsin Watch it changed its site to protect youth safety.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee: Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending

U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee: 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Briarpatch Youth Services: About

Fox News: Have Venezuelan gang members made it to Wisconsin?

Briarpatch Youth Services: Teens Like Us LGBTQIA2s+

Fox News: Millions for late-term abortion clinic, transgender devices buried deep in $1.2T spending package

Google Docs: Wall Street Journal opinion article 9/13/24

Newsweek: Did Mike Johnson Approve Funding to Give Transgender Teens Clothing?

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin pushes back on GOP criticism of funds for group that helps at-risk youth

Did Tammy Baldwin fund a transgender clinic for youths? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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