A 17-year-old Wisconsin student claims she faced bullying from teachers after speaking out against her school district's policy that permits students to use restrooms aligning with their gender identity, rather than their biological sex. Ella Frei, a rising senior and athlete at New Richmond High School, stated on social media that she was harassed online and targeted by some educators after she raised concerns with the school board.
Frei's allegations come as the U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a ruling on transgender students in sports. The court unanimously decided that barring transgender students from participating in school sports according to their gender identity does not violate Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. However, the ruling leaves specific policies regarding transgender participation and facilities to individual states.
New Richmond High School's district policy allows students to use restrooms corresponding to their gender identity. According to court documents related to a lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) on behalf of New Richmond Parents for Strong Schools, this policy has allegedly caused distress for female students. The lawsuit asserts that the policy violates girls' rights under Title IX and has led to instances where biological males have been present in girls' restrooms, causing anxiety and impacting privacy.
The lawsuit states that female students have avoided restrooms, missed class time, and experienced stress due to these situations. It also notes that girls uncomfortable with the policy have been directed to use separate, single-stall bathrooms. One student, identified by the initials E.F. in court records, alleged that she was told to use these single-stall facilities when she expressed discomfort about a biological male being in the girls' restroom. The lawsuit further details that E.F. had to miss class time due to the single-stall bathrooms being located far from her classrooms and experienced long wait times for a facility located in the teacher's lounge. The filing also expressed anxiety over the potential for male students to be allowed in girls' locker rooms.
Frei, who participates in volleyball and track, has also voiced concerns about the impact of biological males in women's sports, citing potential physical disadvantages for female athletes. The lawsuit filed in April by WILL argues that the New Richmond School District's bathroom policy infringes upon the rights of high school girls under Title IX. The school district has reportedly filed a motion to dismiss the case, and a judge has not yet made a ruling.
