The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), in partnership with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and Parents Defending Education (PDE), has filed a formal complaint against Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) with the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Justice (DOJ). The complaint targets MPS’s gender transition policy, which allegedly permits school staff to develop secret “Gender Support Plans” for students without informing parents, in violation of federal law.

Under MPS policy, staff can complete private questionnaires with students regarding gender identity and create a transition plan that is hidden from parental access, a practice the complaint says breaches the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).

“Parents have the right and solemn responsibility to raise their own children,” said WILL Deputy Counsel Luke Berg. “School districts around the country have been flouting parental rights. We hope these secret transition policies can be eliminated once and for all.”

ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson echoed the concern, saying, “Milwaukee Public Schools is deliberately hiding vital information from moms and dads. We are urging the administration to eliminate secretive policies that harm children.”

Nicole Neily, President of PDE, highlighted that more than 1,200 school districts have been documented with similar parental exclusion policies, calling MPS’s actions “an insult to injury” and urging swift federal intervention.

The complaint comes on the heels of President Trump’s January 29 executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” which prioritizes enforcement of parental rights under FERPA and PPRA. Recent DOE actions against schools in California and Maine signal growing federal attention to such policies.

WILL, ADF, and PDE are calling for a full investigation into MPS and are urging federal authorities to rescind MPS’s federal funding if the district refuses to comply. They are also demanding that MPS immediately notify parents if a secret gender support plan exists for their child.