The Family Foundation Joins Legal Brief Asking U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Important Parental Rights Case

LEXINGTON, KY – This week, The Family Foundation signed on to an amicus brief submitted to The Supreme Court of the United States in the case Parents Protecting Our Children v. Eau Claire School District. The brief was filed in support of the petitioners (Parents Protecting Our Children) by Advancing American Freedom (AAF), a national pro-family policy organization. The Family Foundation joined 66 other organizations around the country in supporting the brief to fight for the rights of parents and urge the Court to hear arguments in the case.

At the heart of PPOC v. Eau Claire is the question of whether parents have the right to know important information about their children, and to mount a legal challenge against any policy that attempts to conceal such information from a child’s parents. Specifically, the Eau Claire School District in Wisconsin “adopted a policy under which schoolteachers and administrators will facilitate students’ social gender transition (using a different name and pronouns inconsistent with the family’s usage) without informing parents or seeking their consent.”

In training for teachers, the District even went so far as to say “parents are not entitled to know their kids’ identities [at school]. That knowledge must be earned.”

Such a policy is inconsistent with fundamental human reason and revealed biblical truth which both indicate clearly that parents, as those responsible for the life of said child, not only have been granted the sole authority to guide the development of that child (Eph 6:1), but also have the explicit moral duty to exercise that authority in a manner which promotes the child’s individual flourishing (Prov 22:6). Additionally, AAF asserts that the rights of parents “are an essential element of the freedom the Constitution exists to protect . . .”

Despite this, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled that the policy—​implemented in 2021—​did not directly injure the parents bringing the case, and thus stated the parents did not have standing to file suit. In response, the brief argues that “parents have the right to direct the upbringing of their children,” and “when the state undermines that control by inserting itself in any but the most extreme circumstances, the parents have suffered a cognizable injury sufficient to grant standing.”

Consequently, supporting this brief is an important step to ensure that parental rights and freedoms are secured not only here in the Commonwealth, but also around the nation. Join us in praying that the Supreme Court hears this important case. We will continue to track this case and provide you with any relevant updates when they become available.