TLDR:
- New York school board chair sues Attorney General Letitia James over guidance threatening to remove officials who allow parents to criticize transgender locker room policies
- Parents and students in Massapequa objected after biological male began using girls’ locker room, sparking “lively” board meetings
- State guidance warns board members risk removal for allowing comments that “demean” LGBTQ+ students or using wrong pronouns
- Lawsuit claims directive violates First Amendment and discriminates based on viewpoint
A New York school board chair is suing the state’s attorney general, claiming threats to remove her from office for allowing parents to speak about transgender locker room policies violate the First Amendment.
Kerry Wachter, who chairs the Massapequa Union Free School District Board of Education, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging guidance issued in May by Attorney General Letitia James. The directive warns board members they could be removed for allowing public comments that “demean and stigmatize LGBTQ+ students” — including objections to transgender access to opposite-sex facilities.
The issue became real for Ms. Wachter when a biological male identifying as female began using the girls’ locker room at a district school. Parents and students voiced concerns at board meetings.
“Someone has to stand up for these girls,” Ms. Wachter told The Washington Times. “They’re being brave to come out, but if Letitia James had her way, as soon as they came to the microphone and started speaking about this issue, we should have shut them down.”
The state guidance also warns against using non-preferred pronouns for transgender individuals.
Ms. Wachter called the directive “just a way to shut down free and open ideas.”
Three other New Yorkers joined the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.
Read more:
• New York parents sue AG James over crackdown on anti-trans speech at school board meetings
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
