Wisconsin parents outraged at Title IX ‘delusion’ in local school district meeting

A school district meeting in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, became the battleground for a raging debate among parents and community members discussing the local implementation of Title IX.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that you guys are even considering letting bathrooms and locker rooms be coed. I don’t care how they identify or whatever kind of delusion people live in, whatever kind of mental disease that they have, boys are boys and girls are girls. It’s simple and basic. It’s always been that way, and that’s why we have separate bathrooms,” Josh Vienola, a member of the local Moms for Liberty Facebook group, said during the heated Aug. 14 meeting.

“I don’t understand what’s going on with you guys that we’re even considering this. You guys need to say, ‘No, absolutely not,’ and come back to reality,” Vienola continued.

His remarks came in response to Kora Novy, self-proclaimed director of Oshkosh Pride, who had earlier labeled the discussion as a “roadblock.”

“What is this fight really about?” Novy questioned. “You don’t get to impose your beliefs on anybody else, and that’s actually what religious liberty is. It’s that your right to believe that is protected, but the other person that identifies as something also has a right to be protected.”

Novy emphasized that the LGBT community is “paying attention” and will “be involved in this conversation if it keeps on going.” Their comments echoed the concerns raised by another local, TJ Hobbs, who also voiced unease over the local Title IX compliance.

As the debate raged on, Laura Ackermann, chapter chair of Winnebago County’s Moms for Liberty, also chimed in. Ackermann raised concerns over the potential discomfort female students might experience due to the Title IX changes.

“The old Title IX was two paragraphs, and it was meant to protect girls and women in sports and education. The new policy, the new regulations are 1,500 pages,” Ackermann said. “Moms for Liberty want all children protected. But the new policy potentially, in some instances, puts the transgender student above the girls. That’s the crux of the argument–changing Title IX from just protecting girls to now also including the transgender population. Not that they shouldn’t be protected, but there are other policies that can do that.”

Ackermann went on to argue, “If a transgender person wants to go into the opposite bathroom, under this law, you must let them. If a girl complains because she’s not comfortable with a male naked in her locker room, she has no recourse under this new policy.”

Transgender policies have ignited tensions, with some parents believing they should have more control over their children’s education and others insisting LGBT students should decide what information is shared with their parents.

Ackermann cited a lawsuit she sent to the board, stating if a girl is “offended” by a transgender student using the same bathroom, the girl is asked to use a separate restroom. However, the same cannot be asked of the transgender student.

She noted that Oshkosh area schools are currently compliant with Wisconsin state law 118.13 and stated that the current policies are both state and federally compliant.

The Oshkosh area school district has yet to respond to requests for comment.

In Karen’s opinion, the whole ordeal smacks of a society that’s lost touch with common sense. It’s like we’ve collectively decided that reality is too boring, so let’s just make everything up as we go. Let’s embrace every whim and fancy, rules and logic be damned. Separate bathrooms have always worked before; why fix what’s not broken?