Foote v. Ludlow School Committee

On August 18, the Liberty Justice Center and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, jointly representing Dr. Erica E. Anderson, filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold parental rights and reverse the First Circuit’s decision in Foote v. Ludlow School Committee.

The Ludlow School District, like many others across the nation, has instituted a policy to secretly facilitate gender transitions without informing the parents of these children. The plaintiffs—the parents of a young student—challenged the Ludlow School District’s policy, arguing that it interferes with their parental rights protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Despite the long line of Supreme Court line of cases spanning over a century, which set a strong precedent for parents’ ability to direct the upbringing and education of their children, both the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit dismissed the parents’ case. These courts misconstrued the case as one challenging the curricular decisions of schools when, in reality, the case is about the rights of parents to raise their children.

“Parents should not have to cede their decision-making authority merely by sending their children to public school,” said Liberty Justice Center Senior Counsel Emily Rae.

The amicus brief urges the Supreme Court to take up this case and once again affirm that parents have the ultimate authority over their children’s healthcare decisions—not government-run schools.