A controversy that dates back to December 2024 at Westosha Central High School in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, is now moving toward a formal legal route. Parents and legal advocates are taking action after a biologically male student was allowed to change in the girls’ locker room. The situation has once again reignited the debate on student privacy, Title IX rights, and school policies regarding transgender students.
According to the complaint, female students at the school were left with an unfair and uncomfortable dilemma—either change in front of a male student or face academic penalties. Some students attempted to avoid gym class altogether, with one receiving an “F” in physical education due to repeated absences. That parent took her child out of the school district. Another student was forced back into the locker room by a teacher when she tried to leave.
Reports further allege that the male student engaged in inappropriate behavior, including staring at the girls while they changed and applying lotion to his exposed body, claiming it was to “prevent chafing.” Despite multiple complaints from students and parents, the school district reportedly failed to act and instead denied any inappropriate behavior had been reported.
Legal Action Underway
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) has stepped in to support affected families, filing a Title IX complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. WILL argues that the school district endangered female students and violated Title IX regulations by punishing girls who sought privacy.
“When schools like Westosha force girls into an inadequate choice between exposing themselves to a male student or academic penalties, they abandon all common sense and their core mission,” stated WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Greuel. “The law requires protections for girls to have the same educational opportunities as their male peers.”
Nicholas Puchter, a former Westosha parent, voiced his frustration after his daughter was penalized for standing up for her privacy. “Parents send their kids to school so they can learn in a safe environment, but that’s not what happened here. The district’s misplaced priorities left us no choice but to leave the school.”
Community Response and Calls for Federal Investigation
Scarlett Johnson, Wisconsin State Chair of Moms for Liberty, has been working with parents in Kenosha who are ready to take legal action. “We aren’t going to take it anymore! There will be a way for everyone in the country to help the parents in Kenosha fight back against this gender insanity that is harming our girls,” she said in December 2024.
WILL is calling for a federal investigation, arguing that the school violated Title IX regulations, which mandate that schools “respond promptly and effectively” to reports of sex discrimination. The organization insists that the Department of Education must act swiftly to remedy what they call “unlawful policies and practices.”
As the legal battle unfolds, parents and advocates nationwide are watching closely, concerned about how schools across the country handle similar situations. The debate over student privacy, gender policies, and Title IX protections continues to grow, with families and advocacy groups determined to protect students’ rights.