The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) unveiled a new resource on Monday for parents wanting to keep their children from being indoctrinated by radical diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and gender ideology lessons in school.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which declared parents have the right to opt their children out of lessons that contradict their faith, WILL released several templates for parents, administrators and school boards to ensure compliance with the landmark parental rights decision. The templates allow parents to easily notify their children’s school that their kids are not permitted to participate in divisive topics such as gender ideology, critical race theory and sex education.
“As students head back to school, our new model policy and resources will empower parents to stand up for their rights and will equip school leaders to comply with new Supreme Court precedent,” Cory Brewer, WILL’s education counsel, said in a press release. “Parents, not government officials, have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children, and that principle must be upheld in every school.”
WILL also created a template for teachers to use that notifies parents of any upcoming controversial lessons so that parental rights can be respected without increasing teachers’ workload. School boards are also encouraged to adopt WILL’s model policy, which ensures the Court’s ruling is being followed and parental rights are being respected. The policy plainly states that parents should be notified of any controversial lessons taught in their children’s classroom, have a right to access all instructional material and maintain opt-out rights for any lesson that conflicts with their family’s values.
President Donald Trump has taken several steps to root leftist ideology out of classrooms. On his first day in office for his second term, Trump signed an executive order announcing the federal government would only recognize the two biological sexes. A letter from the Department of Education in February further codified the guidance to schools.
The administration has also made clear its mission to expel discriminatory racial preference practices and DEI programs from schools and institutions receiving federal funding, placing dozens of schools under investigation in March for allegedly violating the law.
