TULSA, Okla. — A lawsuit filed jointly by the Tulsa-based legal nonprofits Oklahoma Equality Law Center and Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice seeks damages stemming from an Oklahoma State Board of Education decision earlier this year that overruled a decision by Moore Public Schools to change a student's records to reflect their gender identity.
"The state board of education targeted this family without any opportunity for the family to say, 'Hey, listen to our story. Here's the evidence for why we made the decisions that we made,'" Oklahoma Equality Law Center Co-founder Josh Payton told 2 News Friday.
Attorneys for the anonymous plaintiffs said the board and State Superintendent Ryan Walters's intent was to violate Title IX gender discrimination laws.
They also allege a violation of the child's civil rights and the Oklahoma Parents Bill of Rights.
"When the government is coming in and telling you that you can't do certain things with your children's educational records, that has really far-reaching implications to our rights as parents," Appleseed Center Executive Director Colleen McCarty said via Zoom.
The lawsuit names each board member as a defendant, as well as Superintendent Walters, who's known for targeting transgender inclusivity in schools.
When 2 News asked Walters about the lawsuit Thursday, he was unconcerned.
"I'm not surprised at these radical left wing groups continue to attack us," he said. "I'll never back down to a bunch of woke liberals trying to sue me for me for protecting our kids and protect our parents so I'm going to continue to stand firm no matter what lawsuit or what they throw at me there."
Payton and McCarty said Walters has them and the lawsuit all wrong.
"I don't consider our fundamental rights as parents to be a partisan issue, and I don't consider the constitution to be a partisan issue, and I don't consider (the lawsuit) to be frivolous," McCarty.
"The pressure is absolutely on them," Payton said. "And I think that all Oklahomans should realize that it's an opportunity to hold them accountable."
Payton added he plans to ask the court to suspend the school board's decision until a decision is made with the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also seeks money for legal, procedural, and emotional damages allegedly caused by the board.
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