School district and mother reaches settlement agreement
By Kaoyeng Lee
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PITTSVILLE, Wisconsin (WAOW) — A legal dispute between the Pittsville School District and a local mother has come to an end after both parties reached a settlement agreement.
The lawsuit stemmed from a social media video posted by the mother explaining why she chose to homeschool her child.
The video gained national attention, accumulating more than 26 million views online.
According to the mother, the video was part of a social media trend.
However, after it was posted, law enforcement officers were sent to her home by the school district, leading to the legal challenge.
Nearly six months later, the district and the mother have released a joint statement outlining the terms of the settlement.
“The school district agrees that they should have handled this in a different way,” says Cory Brewer, Deputy Counsel with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL).
“They acknowledge that the post by our client was protected speech and that they frankly should not have sent law enforcement to her door in response to it and that they will handle this type of dispute differently going forward,” she adds.
The attorney said the settlement is significant because it reinforces First Amendment protections and the rights of parents to advocate for their children.
She added that while school districts may disagree with parents, government entities cannot punish or silence individuals for protected speech.
The full joint statement can be found on the Pittsville School District’s website (right hand side of your screen) or WILL’s website.
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