The latest round in a Wisconsin school board fight has one board member suing his fellow members to stop implementation of a controversial sex-ed curriculum while anti-LGBTQ+ organizations Moms for Liberty and Gays Against Groomers stoke the controversy.
The suit was filed by board member Michael Meier, who claims the adoption of the new Human Growth and Development curriculum for the Wauwatosa School District in Milwaukee County should be invalidated based on technicalities that include Meier being excluded from conversations among his fellow members.
“A member was excluded from the meeting process in the weekend preceding the August 22 Human Growth and Development action, and therefore that approval of the August 22 is ordered voided and rescinded as unlawful,” the lawsuit read.
Meier was the lone dissenting vote when the new standards were adopted by a vote of 6-1.
The anti-LGBTQ+ groups Moms for Liberty and Gays Against Groomers have made the tiny school district a focus of their national efforts protesting against the “sexualization and indoctrination of children.” Gays Against Groomers founder Jaimee Michell, who is based in Milwaukee, described the Wisconsin curriculum as “child abuse” and “grooming.”
At a board meeting on October 24, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported police were called after activists from both organizations plunged the gathering into chaos by shouting accusations at board members and parents, labeling them “groomers” and “child abusers” who wanted to show kids sexually explicit pictures.
“Please remember our name, Gays Against Groomers, as you will be hearing a lot more of us, and we are just getting started,” Michell warned. A 10-year old in attendance broke into tears.
Failed school board candidate and Moms for Liberty member Scarlett Johnson tweeted thanks to opponents of the measure before the meeting. “Thank you for helping us protect kids from woke gender ideology and hyper sexualization. Comprehensive Sexuality Education is evil … we can no longer mince words,” she wrote.
Support among residents of the Wauwatosa School District for the new curriculum was measured at over 70% in strong agreement, agreement, or neutral.
“I am most upset, frustrated and sad,” Wauwatosa parent Amy White said, “that extremist groups, or even people external to the Wauwatosa School District are targeting our school board.” Some parents called for the exclusion of outside groups from school board meetings.
At that same meeting, Sunny Iwanski, the first Wauwatosa resident to speak, said she supported Human Growth and Development curriculum. She was immediately interrupted by protesters. She told them the constant disruption meant the needs of the district’s kids were being ignored.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge that we have listened to the voice of the people of Wauwatosa and that we are serving the children of Wauwatosa … I’m frustrated, and I’m ready for us to move forward as a district,” she told the meeting.
Gays Against Groomers was started by Michell, an out lesbian and professional viral media creator, and a group of gay “contributors” earlier this year. The anti-LGBTQ+ collection of gays, lesbians and detrans individuals has stalked school board meetings, anti-LGBTQ+ rallies and the airwaves since, all while being banned from multiple platforms, including Venmo, for hate speech. The group claims they are “a 100% independent, self-funded nonprofit organization.”
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