Wyoming judge grants parents’ motion to intervene in school choice lawsuit

A district court judge has permitted two families to join the legal defense of Wyoming’s first-ever school choice program.

After a June 27 hearing, District Judge Peter Froelicher granted a motion to intervene filed by two Wyoming families, represented by EdChoice and the Institute for Justice (IJ).

“We are proud to stand with IJ and the parents who are stepping forward to defend their right to educational freedom,” said EdChoice’s Director of Litigation Thomas Fisher in a press release.

The Steamboat Legacy Scholarship, which launched in 2024 and became universal in 2025, gives students $7,000 for a variety of educational expenses.

However, the state teachers’ union – the Wyoming Education Association (WEA) – filed a lawsuit against the program June 13. The suit named Megan Degenfelder, superintendent of public instruction, and the state treasurer as defendants. 

Now two Wyoming families who want to use the program are joining its defense. 

The Leck family enrolled their three children in a classical private school after finding the public education system didn’t meet their needs. 

Meanwhile, Victoria Haight and her husband want their four children to receive a Christian education. 

“As a former public-school teacher, Victoria understands that public school may be a great option for many families, but it simply cannot succeed at being all things to all families,” explains the motion to intervene, which  allows parties who were not named in the lawsuit to join the case if they have a stake in the proceedings. 

The Leck and Haight families were granted the right to intervene because their children are the intended beneficiaries of the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship and would be negatively affected if the program closes. 

In the same ruling, Judge Froelicher also granted WEA a preliminary injunction to stop the disbursement of scholarship funds. 

The state had originally scheduled funding to be sent to approved families July 1, but now they must wait until the final ruling in mid-July. 

Nevertheless, the injunction doesn’t prevent the program from operating in other ways such as receiving applications, Froelicher wrote.  

After gaining popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, school choice programs have regularly battled arguments and lawsuits, often from teachers’ unions who lose power when students leave public schools. 

But school choice advocates remain undeterred in their fight for better education. 

“This is an important program that is both constitutional and will empower families all across Wyoming,” said IJ Attorney Katrin Marquez. “All parents and students should have access to the best educational options for their needs.”