Parents & school board members sue their state for the right to bully transgender studentshttps://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/12/parents-school-board-members-sue-their-state-for-the-right-to-transgender-students/ 🔗Daniel Villarreal (10 Dec 2025)
Members of school districts and school boards in Long Island and Schenectady, New York, sued Attorney General Letitia James and other state officials on Tuesday, claiming that their guidance protecting transgender students from bullying and harassment censors free speech.
The lawsuit, filed by the anti-trans conservative Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF), is over a May 8 letter from both James and State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa telling school boards not to make or encourage comments that misgender trans students, suggest that their identities are illegitimate, or imply that their inclusion in school activities and facilities harms other students.
The letter noted that state law requires trans access to school facilities, forbids discrimination based on gender identity, and requires governmental school officials to protect all students from "discrimination, harassment, bullying, taunting, and intimidation."
The letter also noted that board members can respect free speech rights while also implementing "reasonable viewpoint-neutral rules governing the content of speech" that prohibit comments that could have "discriminatory, harassing, or bullying effects."
The lawsuit says the guidance forces school communities to "self-censor and shut down parent speech that advocates for their core values and for children's privacy, safety and opportunity."
