Amicus curiae urges this Court to grant the Petition for Certiorari and reverse the Seventh Circuit’s decision.

NC Values Institute is a North Carolina nonprofit organization that exists to preserve and promote faith, family, and freedom through public policies that protect constitutional liberties, including the right to live and work according to conscience and faith. See https://ncvi.org. NCVI is engaged in fighting policies like the one challenged here.

INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

Transgender ideology is invading American life at a rapidly escalating rate. One of the most disturbing developments is the growing number of public school policies designed to facilitate sex transitions for minor children—not only without parental consent or notice, but often with intentional secrecy and deceit. This coerced imposition of transgender ideology exacerbates the massive intrusion on parental rights at the heart of this and other similar cases. These policies trigger multiple injuries to multiple persons, spawning legal challenges across the country. Children are grievously and irreparably harmed—physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.

1. Counsel of record for all parties received notice at least 10 days prior to the due date of amicus curiae’s intention to file this brief. Amicus curiae certifies that no counsel for a party authored this brief in whole or in part and no person or entity, other than amicus curiae, its members, or its counsel, has made a monetary contribution to its preparation or submission.

2 Amicus curiae urges this Court to consider the alarming First Amendment violations inherent in these policies, which typically demand the use of a minor child’s preferred name and pronouns. Parents, children, and teachers are all faced with threats to free speech and religious liberty. The resulting combination of speech and viewpoint compulsion is a formula for tyranny. In this case, the Eau Claire Area School District (“ECASD”) adopted “Administrative Guidance for Gender Identity Support” (the “Policy”) that initiates a process for school staff to create a “Gender Support Plan” with a student. The Policy purports to offer parents limited rights to participation and information. Parents Protecting Our Child. v. Eau Claire Area Sch. Dist., 95 F.4th 501, *6 (7th Cir. 2024) (“PPOC II”) (exclusion of parents not mandated). But the Policy nevertheless erodes parental rights and attacks the religious convictions of concerned parents.

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