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Tiffany pitches school restrictions on transgender students in Wisconsin governor’s race

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany has proposed a parents’ and teachers’ bill of rights that would require parental consent for students to use different names or pronouns at school and restrict transgender students’ access to sports teams and facilities. The proposal comes as early voting is underway and Wisconsin voters approach Election Day.

Tiffany pitches school restrictions on transgender students in Wisconsin governor’s race

Republican Tom Tiffany is proposing a package of school policies that would require parental permission before students could use different names or pronouns at school, bar transgender girls from girls’ sports teams and facilities, and prohibit what the proposal calls “gender transition procedures” for people under 18.

Tiffany, a candidate for governor, released the plan as in-person early voting began and just over a week remained before Election Day. He said the proposal is intended to support parents and teachers. “Every child deserves a safe classroom, every teacher deserves the authority to maintain order, and every parent deserves to know what is happening in their child’s school,” he said in a statement.

The plan would also give parents access to instructional materials and twice-yearly information about students’ academic progress and classroom behavior. Schools would have to inform parents about violence, threats and crimes on school grounds, and issue school report cards. The proposal would let teachers remove violent or disruptive students, require behavior plans before those students return to class, and protect teachers from retaliation for enforcing rules or reporting safety concerns.

Tiffany has made disputes over school policies related to transgender students a focus of his campaign. Last month, he appeared at a town hall hosted by Moms for Liberty, a conservative parent-organizing group that has supported book bans and challenged school policies concerning transgender children. Group co-founder Tina Descovich said the election could send Wisconsin in sharply different directions. At the event, she also made claims about Tiffany’s Democratic opponent, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, that Crowley has not endorsed.

Tiffany’s campaign cited disputes in New Richmond and Winneconne. The New Richmond district has been investigated by the Trump administration over its bathroom policies. In Winneconne, an 18-year-old student’s preferred name, rather than legal name, was used at a graduation ceremony without parental permission; the controversy preceded the superintendent’s retirement.

Wisconsin Republicans have repeatedly proposed parental-rights legislation and measures requiring consent for students to use different names at school. Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed earlier bills, saying one would divide schools and communities rather than improve student outcomes or foster collaboration. Crowley, by contrast, has emphasized increased public-school funding, including for special education, and universal early childhood education.

Tiffany’s proposal is a campaign plan, not a law. Its proposed limits on transgender students would affect their participation in school sports and their use of bathrooms and locker rooms, while its parental-notification rules would shape how schools handle students’ names and pronouns.

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