Victory in fight for parents’ rights, says Missouri AG as suit against school’s secretive trans policy moves forward

The school district sued by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey over its refusal to reveal a transgender bathroom policy was denied its motion to dismiss, the AG announced Friday.

“BREAKING: The Court has DENIED Wentzville School District’s motion to dismiss our lawsuit against them for concealing a transgender bathroom policy,” Bailey wrote on X. “We are moving forward in our fight to ensure parents know what’s going on in their children’s schools.”

The suburban St. Louis school board allegedly would not discuss its transgender bathroom policy in open session, in what Bailey called a “direct violation” of Missouri’s Open Meetings Law.

The lawsuit was filed by Bailey’s office on Sept. 26 in the Circuit Court of Saint Charles County. 

“After a Wentzville board member stated that ‘quite frankly, it’s not the parents’ business’ to know about the bathroom policy, two other members of the school board emerged as whistleblowers,” Bailey wrote on X about why he filed the suit.

Board members Renee Henke and Jennifer Olson alleged in sworn affidavits that board member Julie Scott made the comment about the policy being none of the parents’ business, and Superintendent Danielle Tormala told the board she didn’t want the policy to be formalized because it would “make us a lightning rod” for litigation. Henke and Olson disagreed.

AG Bailey also said his office received over 40 complaints against the school district from community members. 

“Members of the Wentzville School Board knowingly and purposefully denied parents that right when they shrouded the transgender student bathroom usage policy in secrecy, directly violating the Open Meetings Law,” Bailey said in a press release in September.  

“My office is sending the message that Missourians do not co-parent with the government. We will enforce Missouri’s open meetings statute to protect parental rights.”