Defending Freedom This Week:

WEBINAR | The State of School Choice & the Bureaucrats Trying to Stop It

Join WILL Research Director, Will Flanders, PhD, and Associate Counsel, Cory Brewer, for a webinar this Wednesday, January 25th, 2023 at 10 AM! They will discuss the state of school choice in Wisconsin, the opportunities for expanding educational freedom, and how the state is making it more difficult for families to participate in the choice program.

NEW | WILL Pushes Back Against City Silencing Political Opposition

Over the past several weeks, the City of Neenah sent a number of “Notice of Violation” letters to residents, ordering them to remove signs opposing re-zoning efforts in the city. On behalf of one of the families receiving such a notice, WILL sent a letter to the City of Neenah, demanding that they immediately withdraw the Notice of Violation and give assurances that the city’s efforts to stifle First Amendment-protected speech will stop immediately.

🗯 Lucas Vebber, WILL Deputy Counsel, stated, “Unfortunately, it is becoming all too common for government actors at all levels to use their authority to silence opposing voices. We are proud to help these residents stand up and fight back.”

📰 Learn more about this legal action in Post Crescent, or watch interviews on WBAY, NBC26, WTAQ, and FOX11.

NEW | Lawsuit Against WI School District that Refuses to Release Evidence of Race Discrimination

WILL filed a lawsuit against the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) for violating public records law. Nearly a year ago, on January 31, 2022, WILL requested records from MMSD regarding its use of “small instructional groups” for “reading, foundational skills, and math.” A whistleblower had provided WILL with a partial copy of an official policy stating that MMSD teachers must “prioritize your African American students meeting with you first and more often.” After receiving a partial record, WILL asked for the complete policy and other related public records. As of the date of this lawsuit, MMSD still refuses to provide public records related to this racially discriminatory policy.

🗯 WILL Associate Counsel, Cory Brewer, stated that “Race discrimination has no place in public education. It is illegal and immoral. Parents and community members have a right to know how and why Madison has been discriminating against students based on race.”

📺 Watch this informative video to learn more!

📰 Read about the lawsuit in The State Journal and Wisconsin Spotlight.

NEW | WILL Empowers Parents with TrevorSpace Template Letter

WILL created a letter as a tool for Wisconsin parents. Parents can submit their concerns through this letter to school districts about an online forum called “TrevorSpace.” While the website is designed to be “an affirming international community for LGBTQ young people ages 13–24,” TrevorSpace is a chat room-style forum that allows adults and children to connect to discuss intimate topics including sexuality, gender transitioning, and how to keep information secret from parents.

📰 Our letter was mentioned by Empower Wisconsin, read the article here!

WILL in the News | Are book bans discriminatory? Biden Administration to test new legal theory.

WILL Research Director, Will Flanders, PhD, was interviewed and quoted in The Washington Post, stating that the treatment of book access as a Title IX issue makes little sense. “This isn’t the sort of civil rights issue that requires federal intervention... It’s a question about books in schools, not about individual rights being violated.”

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