Doe v. Madison Metropolitan School District

A Madison Metropolitan School District policy instructs district employees to assist children of any age to adopt a transgender identity at school upon the child’s request without notice to or consent from parents, to conceal from parents the fact that school personnel are doing this unless the child “consents” to the parents being told, and even instructs district employees to conceal these facts from parents.

Case timeline

• February 2020: The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty (WILL) and Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit on behalf of parents on February 18, 2020, then asked for a temporary halt to the Madison Metropolitan School District’s policy on February 19, 2020.
• September 2020: A state court stopped the school district from enacting its policy that lies to parents about the gender identity their child may have adopted at school. The court’s injunction is in effect while the lawsuit against the district is on appeal.
• July 2022: The Wisconsin Supreme Court resolved an outstanding procedural matter and directed the lower state court to consider the merits of the parents’ claims.
• November 2022: The lower court ignored the instruction of the State Supreme Court and instead reversed its own earlier ruling to hold that the parents lacked “standing” to challenge the policy even though their children are put at risk by the policy.
• January 2023: Attorneys with WILL and ADF filed their opening brief with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. The parents are appealing their case after a lower court dismissed their lawsuit.