Latest news with #WisconsinInstituteforLaw&Liberty
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Wisconsin man fired for refusing to use preferred pronouns appeals to Trump administration
Spencer Wimmer, a Wisconsin man, is asking the Trump administration to intervene after he says he was fired for refusing to use preferred pronouns that conflict with a person's biological sex—forcing him, he claims, to choose between his livelihood and his faith. While the Trump administration has moved to roll back DEI and gender ideology workplace requirements, Wimmer, a devout Christian, argues that private citizens are still experiencing workplace discrimination tied to such policies. Advertisement Now, after filing a religious discrimination complaint through the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) to the Trump US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), he said he hopes President Donald Trump will do something about it. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Wimmer said that he had worked hard to be a 'model employee' during his five years at Generac and was in good standing with the company, having received several positive performance reviews and promotions. He said he expected to have a long, fruitful career at the power equipment company. That is, until he was suddenly pulled into a meeting with human resources and confronted about his refusal to use someone's preferred pronouns. Advertisement 5 Spencer Wimmer says he was fired from his job at Generac for not following the company pronouns rules despite his religious objections. Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty Wimmer says that his refusal to use preferred pronouns is rooted in his deeply held Biblical, religious belief that there are only two genders and that a person cannot switch between one and the other. He explained that he had prior experience working with transgender people and even had a good working relationship with one of his colleagues who was transgender. However, after Wimmer had to clarify with HR that he could not in good conscience use his transgender colleagues' preferred pronouns, he was reprimanded for 'unprofessional' conduct. Advertisement According to WILL, the firm representing Wimmer, Generac HR representatives told him that his request to refrain from using transgender pronouns on religious grounds 'did not make any sense.' Wimmer was issued a written disciplinary action note that stated 'refusal to refer to an employee/subordinate by their preferred name/pronouns is in violation of the company's Code of Business Conduct and No Harassment Policy.' 5 Wimmer was pulled into a meeting with human resources at Generac and confronted about his refusal to use someone's preferred pronouns. Google Maps After an entire month in which he said he felt both targeted and bullied for his religious beliefs, Wimmer was fired from his supervisor role at Generac Power Systems on April 2. According to WILL, he was not allowed to collect his personal belongings and was escorted out of the building. Advertisement Wimmer described the entire episode as 'heartbreaking.' 'I was asked to choose between my livelihood and my love for God and my beliefs,' said Wimmer, adding that it was 'very emotional having everything kind of ripped out from under me.' 5 Wimmer described the entire episode as 'heartbreaking.' LinkedIn In its complaint to the EEOC, WILL argues that Generac violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. WILL asserts that Generac violated Wimmer's rights despite there being no harassment complaints filed against him. Cara Tolliver, an attorney with WILL, told Fox News Digital that she believes his case carries a broader significance that could impact Americans across the country. She said that Wimmer's case puts recent Supreme Court precedent set in a 2023 case called Groff v. DeJoy to the test, challenging the validity of an employer's compelled gender affirmation policy against an employee's sincerely held religious beliefs. 5 Wimmer claims his personal items were damaged by the company when they were eventually returned to him. Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty Advertisement 5 Damage was left to one of Wimmer's books after his firing. Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty 'Employers, I think, have kind of become seemingly fixated on a lot of identity politics in the workplace, including the topic of gender identity,' she said. 'But it's crucial to keep in mind that even where Title VII may provide some protection to employees against workplace discrimination and harassment on the basis of a gender identity, this does not supersede or eliminate Title VII protections against religious discrimination and the fact that religious discrimination is illegal.' Wimmer told Fox News Digital that he 'never asked Generac to choose between me and then this other individual.' Advertisement 'There was absolutely a way for us to work together and have a compromise where we continue to have a professional environment,' he said. 'Unfortunately, there are individuals and there are organizations and structures in place that won't let you have compromise. The fact that you have these beliefs is unacceptable to them. So, no amount of compromise is possible.' In response to Fox News Digital's request for comment, a spokesperson said: 'We do not comment on employment matters nor comment on pending litigation.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin parents claim school punished daughters for refusing to change in front of trans student
FIRST ON FOX– Two Wisconsin parents have filed a civil rights complaint after they claimed their daughters were forced to share a locker room with a biological male transgender student and faced academic penalties for attempting to avoid undressing in front of the student. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a Title IX complaint on behalf of the parents with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi against Westosha Central High School for "endangering the safety and privacy of multiple female students." The complaint, shared first with Fox News Digital, claims that Westosha Central High allowed a male student to share a locker room for gym class with female students and allegedly punished students who attempted to avoid changing in front of the male student. The complaint was brought by two parents of female students in the class. One of the parents said he ended up pulling his daughter out of the school because of the situation. Illinois Mother Files Civil Rights Complaint, Says Daughter Nearly Forced To Change In Front Of Trans Student "Parents send their kids to school so they can learn in a safe environment, but that's not what happened here. My daughter was punished for standing up for her own privacy and safety. The district's misplaced priorities left us no choice but to leave the school," former Westosha parent Nicholas Puchter said. Read On The Fox News App The complaint states that at the beginning of the second semester last December, two female students, "Jane Doe 1" and "Jane Doe 2," began a new physical education class where they became aware that a male transgender student would be allowed to change in the girls' locker room. "While some girls could use the few available toilet stalls to change in privacy and away from the gaze of the male student, others could not because of the limited time offered for changing. The result was a crowded and uncomfortable environment where many girls felt pressured into an inadequate choice between exposure and tardiness," the complaint states. After Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 expressed "discomfort and embarrassment" at being required to undress in front of a male student to their gym teacher, the complaint claims they were told "not to worry about it" and that it would be considered "bullying," to not allow the transgender student to use the girls' locker room. Conservative School Board In Blue State Asking Trump Admin To Intervene On Gender Policy The complaint says the parents of the two girls also called the school's administration office to demand they address the issue. However, the transgender student was still allowed to change in the same locker room, the complaint claims. During the winter break, Westosha also sent a letter to families, claiming that "no reports of inappropriate locker room behaviors were made to school personnel or law enforcement" but regardless, the school said it had "taken steps to ensure all students feel safe and comfortable in the locker room." The complaint says that Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 faced academic penalties when they attempted to avoid changing in front of the transgender student. Jane Doe 1 allegedly "received multiple unexcused absences attempting to avoid the leering gaze of a male student in the locker room." Hhs' Civil Rights Office Finds Maine In Violation Of Title Ix For Allowing Biological Males In Women's Sports In one instance, Jane Doe 1 tried to sit in the girls' bathroom outside the locker room to avoid the male student when a teacher "yelled" at her for skipping class and forced her to return to PE class, the complaint says. Jane Doe 2 was also marked absent on multiple occasions because she would wait for an empty stall to change clothes for class. Although her absences were excused after her father called the school, she still received a failing grade in the class, the complaint says. Her family ultimately chose to pull her out of Westosha, which is located in Paddock Lake, a village in Kenosha County bordering Illinois. WILL accuses the school of violating Title IX protections by failing to "take meaningful action to accommodate" or address the students' concerns and creating an environment where female students' participation in gym class was hindered. WILL is asking the Department of Justice and Department of Education to investigate these claims and "act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and practices, and order appropriate relief." WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Greuel provided the following statement: "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. The law requires protections for girls to have the same educational opportunities as their male peers. The decision to punish these girls for protecting themselves must be promptly investigated by the Department of Education. We ask the department to consider the allegations in our complaint and quickly remedy these unlawful policies and practices." In response to the complaint, the Department of Justice told Fox News Digital, "Forcing girls to compete against and share locker rooms with boys is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous. The Department of Justice will protect women and continue to vigorously defend President Trump's executive actions, including the Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports executive order." Wetosha Central High and the Department of Education did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for article source: Wisconsin parents claim school punished daughters for refusing to change in front of trans student
Fox News
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Wisconsin parents claim school punished daughters for refusing to change in front of trans student
FIRST ON FOX– Two Wisconsin parents have filed a civil rights complaint after they claimed their daughters were forced to share a locker room with a biological male transgender student and faced academic penalties for attempting to avoid undressing in front of the student. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a Title IX complaint on behalf of the parents with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi against Westosha Central High School for "endangering the safety and privacy of multiple female students." The complaint, shared first with Fox News Digital, claims that Westosha Central High allowed a male student to share a locker room for gym class with female students and allegedly punished students who attempted to avoid changing in front of the male student. The complaint was brought by two parents of female students in the class. One of the parents said he ended up pulling his daughter out of the school because of the situation. "Parents send their kids to school so they can learn in a safe environment, but that's not what happened here. My daughter was punished for standing up for her own privacy and safety. The district's misplaced priorities left us no choice but to leave the school," former Westosha parent Nicholas Puchter said. The complaint states that at the beginning of the second semester last December, two female students, "Jane Doe 1" and "Jane Doe 2," began a new physical education class where they became aware that a male transgender student would be allowed to change in the girls' locker room. "While some girls could use the few available toilet stalls to change in privacy and away from the gaze of the male student, others could not because of the limited time offered for changing. The result was a crowded and uncomfortable environment where many girls felt pressured into an inadequate choice between exposure and tardiness," the complaint states. After Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 expressed "discomfort and embarrassment" at being required to undress in front of a male student to their gym teacher, the complaint claims they were told "not to worry about it" and that it would be considered "bullying," to not allow the transgender student to use the girls' locker room. The complaint says the parents of the two girls also called the school's administration office to demand they address the issue. However, the transgender student was still allowed to change in the same locker room, the complaint claims. During the winter break, Westosha also sent a letter to families, claiming that "no reports of inappropriate locker room behaviors were made to school personnel or law enforcement" but regardless, the school said it had "taken steps to ensure all students feel safe and comfortable in the locker room." The complaint says that Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 faced academic penalties when they attempted to avoid changing in front of the transgender student. Jane Doe 1 allegedly "received multiple unexcused absences attempting to avoid the leering gaze of a male student in the locker room." In one instance, Jane Doe 1 tried to sit in the girls' bathroom outside the locker room to avoid the male student when a teacher "yelled" at her for skipping class and forced her to return to PE class, the complaint says. Jane Doe 2 was also marked absent on multiple occasions because she would wait for an empty stall to change clothes for class. Although her absences were excused after her father called the school, she still received a failing grade in the class, the complaint says. Her family ultimately chose to pull her out of Westosha, which is located in Paddock Lake, a village in Kenosha County bordering Illinois. WILL accuses the school of violating Title IX protections by failing to "take meaningful action to accommodate" or address the students' concerns and creating an environment where female students' participation in gym class was hindered. WILL is asking the Department of Justice and Department of Education to investigate these claims and "act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and practices, and order appropriate relief." WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Greuel provided the following statement: "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. The law requires protections for girls to have the same educational opportunities as their male peers. The decision to punish these girls for protecting themselves must be promptly investigated by the Department of Education. We ask the department to consider the allegations in our complaint and quickly remedy these unlawful policies and practices." In response to the complaint, the Department of Justice told Fox News Digital, "Forcing girls to compete against and share locker rooms with boys is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous. The Department of Justice will protect women and continue to vigorously defend President Trump's executive actions, including the Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports executive order." Wetosha Central High and the Department of Education did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New study from key swing state shatters popular narrative against Voter ID: 'No evidence'
FIRST ON FOX: A study in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin runs contrary to the popular claim of many on the political left and concludes that voter ID laws have not suppressed the vote in the state. "The study finds no statistically significant negative impact of Wisconsin's voter ID law on overall voter turnout," the new study from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) concludes. "In fact, turnout has slightly increased since the law's implementation, challenging claims that voter ID requirements lead to widespread disenfranchisement." Critics have also railed against voter ID laws in recent years, claiming that it disenfranchises minority voters who, according to critics, have difficulty obtaining identification. The study states that it found "no evidence of a negative effect on turnout from the implementation of voter ID among non-white Wisconsinites." 'Fulfill The Mandate': New Election Integrity Report Calls For Critical Changes To Guarantee Secure Elections The study compared turnout in Wisconsin over a 20-year period, starting with the 2004 presidential election and ending with the 2024 presidential election while including gubernatorial elections in the years between. WILL acknowledged that turnout can be "impacted by many factors beyond voter ID laws" but explained that it "included these key control variables to ensure we isolated the law's true impact." Read On The Fox News App Wisconsin established voter ID laws in 2011 that have undergone several court challenges in the following years. Will Flanders, research director at WILL, told Fox News Digital that he hopes people take away from this study that the popular narratives about voter ID laws are not based in data. "When people make these claims that voter ID is this instrument of suppression, there's really no evidence to back that up," Flanders said. "People often say it's especially hard for minorities and folks from low-income backgrounds. We specifically looked at the impact on areas with more minority voters, and we found that there's no evidence, even in those areas, to support this case. There's no impact on voter turnout in areas with high numbers of minority residents relative to other parts of the state as well. So no impact overall and no impact on those voters that are generally claimed to be most affected." 'He Cannot Buy An Election Here In Wisconsin': Sanders Slams Musk In State Trump Won By Less Than 1% Honest Elections Project Action Executive Director Jason Snead told Fox News Digital that the WILL report is consistent with "many" other studies that show voter ID laws "do not do what the Left claims." "To the contrary, voter ID laws enhance public trust in elections, leading directly to higher voter turnout and greater trust in the democratic process. Liberal politicians are desperate to mislead the public, but the truth is that voter ID laws are overwhelmingly popular. That is why 36 states have them and voters in states as diverse as North Carolina and Nevada have voted for ballot measures to require voter ID," he said. On April 1, voters in Wisconsin will be asked if they want to enshrine Wisconsin's voter ID law into the state Constitution. Polling shows that the majority of Americans support the idea of requiring identification to vote. The latest Gallup poll on the issue showed that more than 80% of voters support showing photo identification to vote as well as providing proof of citizenship. Click To Get The Fox News App A 2024 Pew Research Poll also showed a bipartisan consensus that over 80% of Americans support voter ID measures. In Wisconsin, nearly 75% of residents polled by Marquette University Law School supported voter article source: New study from key swing state shatters popular narrative against Voter ID: 'No evidence'
Fox News
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
New study from key swing state shatters popular narrative against Voter ID: 'No evidence'
FIRST ON FOX: A study in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin runs contrary to the popular claim of many on the political left and concludes that voter ID laws have not suppressed the vote in the state. "The study finds no statistically significant negative impact of Wisconsin's voter ID law on overall voter turnout," the new study from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) concludes. "In fact, turnout has slightly increased since the law's implementation, challenging claims that voter ID requirements lead to widespread disenfranchisement." Critics have also railed against voter ID laws in recent years, claiming that it disenfranchises minority voters who, according to critics, have difficulty obtaining identification. The study states that it found "no evidence of a negative effect on turnout from the implementation of voter ID among non-white Wisconsinites." The study compared turnout in Wisconsin over a 20-year period, starting with the 2004 presidential election and ending with the 2024 presidential election while including gubernatorial elections in the years between. WILL acknowledged that turnout can be "impacted by many factors beyond voter ID laws" but explained that it "included these key control variables to ensure we isolated the law's true impact." Wisconsin established voter ID laws in 2011 that have undergone several court challenges in the following years. Will Flanders, research director at WILL, told Fox News Digital that he hopes people takeaway from this study that the popular narratives about voter ID laws are not based in data. "When people make these claims that voter I.D. is this instrument of suppression, there's really no evidence to back that up," Flanders said. "People often say it's especially hard for minorities and folks from low-income backgrounds. We specifically looked at the impact on areas with more minority voters, and we found that there's no evidence, even in those areas, to support this case. There's no impact on voter turnout in areas with high numbers of minority residents relative to other parts of the state as well. So no impact overall and no impact on those voters that are generally claimed to be most affected." Honest Elections Project Action Executive Director Jason Snead told Fox News Digital that the WILL report is consistent with "many" other studies that show voter ID laws "do not do what the Left claims." "To the contrary, voter ID laws enhance public trust in elections, leading directly to higher voter turnout and greater trust in the democratic process. Liberal politicians are desperate to mislead the public, but the truth is that voter ID laws are overwhelmingly popular. That is why 36 states have them and voters in states as diverse as North Carolina and Nevada have voted for ballot measures to require voter ID." On April 1, voters in Wisconsin will be asked if they want to enshrine Wisconsin's voter ID law into the state Constitution. Polling shows that the majority of Americans support the idea of requiring identification to vote. The latest Gallup poll on the issue showed that more than 80% of voters support showing photo identification to vote as well as providing proof of citizenship. A 2024 Pew Research Poll also showed a bipartisan consensus that over 80% of Americans support voter ID measures. In Wisconsin, nearly 75% of residents polled by Marquette University Law School supported voter ID.
