New Richmond High School Student Ella Frei to File Lawsuit Over Bathroom Policy

Lawsuit alleges school district's policy allowing transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity violates Title IX and girls' privacy rights.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 2:56pm

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A grid of brightly colored, high-contrast bathroom sign icons in shades of pink, blue, and purple, conceptually representing the complex issues surrounding transgender bathroom access in schools.A bold pop art interpretation of the ongoing debate over transgender bathroom policies in schools.New Richmond Today

New Richmond Parents for Strong Schools and high school student Ella Frei have filed a federal lawsuit against the New Richmond School District, alleging that its bathroom policy allowing transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity violates the rights of high school girls under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the district's actions are unlawful and a permanent injunction ordering the district to only allow females in the girls' bathrooms and males in the boys' bathrooms.

Why it matters

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing debate over transgender rights and bathroom access in schools, with advocates arguing for inclusivity and privacy rights clashing. The outcome could set a precedent for how schools across the country handle these sensitive issues.

The details

The New Richmond School District has a policy allowing students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. This has resulted in at least one male student frequently using the girls' bathrooms, causing anxiety, stress, and an invasion of privacy for the girls, according to the lawsuit. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which is representing the plaintiffs, argues the district's policy violates Title IX, which requires schools to provide comparable facilities for students of each sex.

  • The lawsuit was filed on April 12, 2026.

The players

Ella Frei

A high school junior and plaintiff in the lawsuit against the New Richmond School District.

New Richmond Parents for Strong Schools

An unincorporated association of students and parents of students enrolled in the New Richmond School District, and a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

New Richmond School District

The defendant in the lawsuit, which has a policy allowing transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity.

Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL)

The law firm representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the New Richmond School District.

Cory Brewer

The deputy counsel at WILL who is representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“Girls should feel safe at school and their privacy should be respected. New Richmond schools left parents and young girls no choice but to go to court and sue to end this ridiculous policy allowing biological boys into the girls' bathroom.”

— Cory Brewer, Deputy Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

“Protecting girls by not allowing boys in the girls' bathroom shouldn't be controversial—it should be common sense. We are not going to abandon our identity as girls or ignore the real privacy concerns the school district has forced on us.”

— Ella Frei, High School Junior

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction to block the school district's policy while the lawsuit proceeds.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing tensions between transgender rights and privacy concerns, with both sides arguing their positions based on civil rights laws and the need to protect vulnerable students. The outcome could set an important precedent for how schools across the country handle these sensitive issues.