KOSCHNICK v. Evers

Case Overview

Case Name: KOSCHNICK v. Evers
Type of Case: Individual Liberties
Court: United States District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
Case Number:
Filed On: 05/12/2026
Current Status: WILL filed a complaint in federal court on May 12th.

Meet The Client

Ms. Koschnick, MS, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who earned her master’s degree in counseling from the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Whitewater and her bachelor’s degree from UW-Stevens Point. Ms. Buchman, MS, LPC, NCC, is a licensed professional counselor who earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Winona State University, as well as a certificate in mental health counseling from UW-Madison. Both clients only provide talk therapy to clients, integrating their clinical training and experience with their Christian faith in providing faith-based counseling. Ms. Koschnick resides in Oconomowoc and Ms. Buchman resides in La Crosse.
Lawyers

Rebecca Furdek

Deputy Counsel
[email protected]

 The Wisconsin regulation, Wis. Admin. Code § MPSW 20.02(25) purports to declare it “unprofessional conduct” for any Board licensee to “Employ[ ] or promot[e] any intervention or method that has the purpose of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including attempting to change behaviors or expressions of self or to reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender.” In effect, the rule prohibits counselors from providing counseling in accordance with a Judeo-Christian sexual ethic, even if the clients share that viewpoint and specifically seek them out for counseling to align with that viewpoint. 

The Board’s regulation applies to all professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers licensed by the Board. 

WILL has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Terri Koschnick and Joy Buchman, Wisconsin-licensed counselors, challenging a Wisconsin rule banning consensual, client-driven Christian counseling. The challenge follows an 8-1 Supreme Court ruling that Colorado’s identical law was unconstitutional “viewpoint discrimination,” the “most blatant” kind of First Amendment violation.

Press Release

Case Documents