1 day Ago
ROCK SPRINGS -- The U.S. District Court for Wyoming on Monday, April 28, issued a summary judgment order upholding the actions of Sweetwater County School District No.
1 and dismissing all claims filed by a Rock Springs couple that claimed the district violated their parental, due process, privacy or religious rights. “We very much appreciate the court’s recognition of the facts in this case,” said SCSD No.1 Superintendent Dr.
Joseph A. Libby. “One of the most important facts is that we have a deep and abiding respect for parental rights even as we also uphold our commitment to promote an educational environment that is supportive and respectful to all our students.
And it’s worth noting U.S. District Judge’s Scott W.
Skavdahl’s assertion: ‘A respectful and nondiscriminatory school environment is a legitimate state interest.’ “We could not agree more.” The civil rights lawsuit filed by Sean and Ashley Willey in April of 2023 centered around the couple’s claims that by using a student’s preferred name and pronouns, several school district employees were encouraging their daughter to socially transition to a boy behind the parents’ backs.
Judge Skavdahl, however, found that “the district and its staff members merely respected the student’s voluntary choice to be referred to by preferred name and pronouns. Neither the district nor its staff members required the student go by preferred name or pronouns nor did they ‘discourage students from discussing their gender identities with their parents.’ At no point did the district or its staff members prohibit plaintiff from participating in her child’s decision.
” In issuing the summary judgement, the court specifically found that Sean Willey, as a stepfather without parental rights, did not have legal standing. Further, the court dismissed the claims made by Ashley Willey, the student’s sole legal guardian and a teacher in the district: “It is well established that parents have a fundamental right to control their children's upbringing. In order to exercise that right, upon inquiry parents must be given access to information concerning their children’s education and, absent reasonable concern for the child’s safety, that information cannot be intentionally withheld or knowingly misrepresented.
The undisputed facts establish that defendants did not withhold or knowingly misrepresent any information regarding the student from or to plaintiff and thus did not interfere with this right. Neither did the school district’s conduct burden plaintiffs First Amendment Right to freely exercise her religious beliefs as a parent or unconstitutionally interfere with her right to freely exercise her religious beliefs as a teacher.” Superintendent Libby said the case is an important reinforcement of both parental rights and a school district’s obligation to respect them.
“At the same time, we’re glad to put this behind us,” Libby said, “and continue to focus on our vision of working with our community every day to prepare all our students for success in life.”.
