Case Name: Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty v. Madison Metropolitan School District
Type of Case: Equality Under the Law, Constitutional Government and Rule of Law
Court: Dane County Circuit Court
Filed On: January 17, 2023
Current Status: Filed in Dane County Circuit Court on January 17, 2023
WISCONSIN SCHOOL DISTRICT REFUSES TO RELEASE EVIDENCE OF RACE DISCRIMINATION
January 17, 2023 | The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) is suing the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) for refusing to provide public records related to a racially discriminatory policy.
Background: WILL Deputy Counsel Dan Lennington submitted the original records request in January 2022, and then followed up on March 8, August 4, September 19, September 28, November 18 and December 6 with no response other than a single comment from MMSD that “we will review this request as soon as practical.”
WILL Intern Dylan Palmer also requested records from MMSD on June 1, 2022 asking for a “complete list of school board adopted textbooks on file with the clerk.” The district responded June 2 saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused “staff constraints” that had caused them to “experience a delay in responding to requests.”
As of the date of WILL’s petition, the district has not fulfilled the records requests from January or June of 2022.
Other institutions and individuals have also faced significant resistance by MMSD in obtaining public records, including NBC 15.
CASE DOCUMENTS
- Petition for Writ of Mandamus, January 17, 2023
- Application for Alternative Writ, January 17, 2023
- Affidavit from Lennington, January 12, 2023
- Affidavit from Koenen, January 17, 2023
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