As part of its work to restore schools at all levels from activists imposing harmful agendas on American classrooms, Defending Education engages in a variety of legal efforts designed to secure educational transparency, legal compliance, viewpoint neutrality, and parental rights. These efforts include federal litigation on constitutional and statutory claims, and the filing of administrative complaints with federal agencies like the Department of Education, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Department of Justice.
Defending Education also frequently submits formal comments on federal regulatory proposals with educational impact, and supports legal allies with amicus briefs in cases that concern education, parental rights, free speech, and more.
Defending Education Litigation
Defending Ed Files Supplemental Brief in Alabama v. U.S. Secretary of Education
On August 8, 2025, Defending Education filed a supplemental brief with the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Alabama, et al., v. U.S. Secretary of Education, et at. in…
Lawsuits
Parents Defending Education v. Croton-Harmon Union Free School District et al.
Croton-Harmon’s speech codes bar “unwelcome,” “offensive,” and “hate[ful]” speech based on certain protected classes, but not on all—which permits the district to police speech based on viewpoint. Parents Defending Education…
Lawsuits
Defending Education et al. v. Sullivan et al.
Colorado State Governor Jared Polis signed HB 25-1312 into law, establishing a new “anti-discrimination” policy that abridges the fundamental free speech rights of Colorado citizens. On May 19,…
Lawsuits
Parents Defending Education v. Olentangy Local School District Board of Education et al.
District policies violate students’ First Amendment rights by chilling students’ speech rights, compelling students to affirm beliefs about sex and gender that are contrary to their own deeply held beliefs,…
Lawsuits
Parents Defending Education Preliminary Injunction Brief in Title IX Lawsuit
On May 8, 2024, The States of Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina along with Parents Defending Education, The Independent Women’s Forum, and Speech First filed a preliminary injunction brief…
Lawsuits
Integrate NYC v. City of New York et al.
It would be unconscionable for litigation that attempts to take educational opportunities away from thousands of New York children to proceed without the participation of the parents of those very…
Lawsuits
Amicus Briefs
Defending Ed Files an Amicus Brief in Support of Donor Privacy For Charitable Contributions
On November 26, 2025, Defending Education filed an amicus brief in conjunction with the State Policy Network and 29 other grassroots organizations in a case currently pending in the U.S.
Lawsuits
Defending Ed Files Amicus Brief to Prevent Environmental Activists from Circumventing the Ballot Box
On November 14, 2025, Defending Ed filed an amicus brief in Dunn v. Public Service Commission. In Wisconsin, activist environmental organizations who object to commonsense energy policies have failed to…
Lawsuits
Defending Ed files Amicus Brief in Theis v. Intermountain Education Service District Board of Directors in Support of Free Speech
On October 24, 2025, Defending Education filed an amicus brief in Theis v. Intermountain Education Service Board of Directors, to support Roderick E. Theis’ appeal to the Ninth Circuit and…
Lawsuits
Defending Ed Files Amicus Brief at the U.S. Supreme Court in Little et al., v. Hecox et al., Calling for Fairness, Safety, and Equality in Women’s Scholastic Sports
On September 19, 2025, Defending Ed filed an amicus brief in support of Title IX’s promise of equality in education and women’s scholastic sports.Separating male and female students based on biological…
Lawsuits
Defending Ed Files Amicus Brief in Foote v. Ludlow School Committee, et al.
On August 21 2025, Defending Ed filed an amicus brief in opposition to yet another school district’s parental exclusion policies. All across the country, policies allowing school personnel to socially…
Lawsuits
Defending Education Files an Amicus Brief in Support of Appellant and Their Request for Reversal in Vitsaxaki v. Skaneateles Central School District et al.
On June 11, 2025 Defending Education filed an Amicus Brief supporting the appellant and reversal in Vitsaxaki v. Skaneateles Central School District ET AL. Defending Education is a national, nonprofit…
Lawsuits
Defending Education Files Amicus Brief in Littlejohn v. School Board of Leon County, Florida, et al.
UPDATE: After denying the request for a rehearing of their case by the entire 11th Circuit Court of Appeals’ panel of judges, January and Jeffrey Littlejohn – parents of a young…
Lawsuits
PDE Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Tahmer Mahmoud, et al. v. Thomas W. Taylor, et al.
Parents Defending Education is a national, nonprofit, grassroots association. Its members include many parents with school-aged children. Launched in 2021, it uses advocacy, disclosure, and litigation to combat the increasing…
Lawsuits
PDE Files 1st Circuit Court of Appeals Amicus Brief in LM v. Middleborough
Gender identity is a “hot issue” that “has produced a passionate political and social debate” across the country. Meriwether v. Hartop, 992 F.3d 492, 508-09 (6th Cir. 2021). One side…
Lawsuits
PDE Files 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Amicus Brief in B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education
Title IX was enacted to prevent discrimination against and ensure equal opportunities for female students. By any metric, it has been wildly successful in achieving that purpose. On May 3,…
Lawsuits
PDE Files 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Amicus Brief in Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools
Title IX was enacted to prevent discrimination against and ensure equal opportunities for female students. By any metric, it has been wildly successful in achieving that purpose.
Lawsuits
Federal Agency Complaints
Defending Ed Files Federal Privacy Complaint Against Seattle Public Schools for Gender-Secrecy Policies, Opt Out Restrictions, and Solicitation of Gender Affirming Supplies for Minors
On December 16, 2025, Defending Ed filed a civil rights complaint against Seattle Public Schools for violations of FERPA and the PPRA. As far as the prevalence of gender…
OCR Complaints
Defending Ed Files Civil Rights Complaint Against University of Wisconsin-Madison for Title IX Violations, Failing to Provide Female Students with Sex-segregated Intimate Spaces
On November 12, 2025, Defending Ed filed a civil rights complaint with the University of Wisconsin-Madison for violations against Title IX. University of Wisconsin Madison is the largest post-secondary…
OCR Complaints
Defending Ed Files Civil Rights Complaint Against Princeton University for Title IX Violations, Forcing Female Students to Share “Gender Neutral” Restrooms
On November 3, 2025, Defending Education filed a civil rights complaint against Princeton University, a university older than the United States itself, for violations against Title IX, which guarantees female…
OCR Complaints
Defending Ed Files Civil Rights Complaint Against Minneapolis Public Schools for Courses Segregated by Race
On October 17, 2025, Defending Ed filed a complaint with the Department of Education against Minneapolis Public Schools because of their segregation of classes by race in clear violation of…
OCR Complaints
Defending Ed Files a Civil Rights Complaint Against Albuquerque Public Schools for Title IX and Equal Protection Violations
On September 25, 2025, Defending Education (DE) filed a complaint against Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) for discrimination on the basis of sex in programs or activities that receive federal financial…
OCR Complaints
Defending Ed Files Civil Rights Complaint Against Las Cruces Public Schools for Title IX and Equal Protection Clause Violations
On September 25, 2025 Defending Ed (DE) filed a complaint against Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS) for discrimination on the basis of sex in programs or activities that receive federal…
OCR Complaints
Defending Ed files civil rights complaint against Contoocook Valley High School District for Title IX and Equal Protection violations
Defending Education (DE) brings this complaint against Contoocook Valley School District (ConVal) for discrimination on the basis of sex in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance in violation…
OCR Complaints
OCR Complaint: Smith College
On June 20th, 2025 Defending Education (DE) filed a complaint against Smith College (Smith) for discrimination on the basis of sex in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance…
OCR Complaints
Defending Education Files Civil Rights Complaint Against Fairfax County Public Schools
On May 20, 2025, Defending Education brought this federal civil rights complaint against Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) pursuant to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ discrimination…
OCR Complaints
OCR COMPLAINT: Indiana University
On April 9, 2025 Defending Education (DE) brings this complaint against Indiana University (IU) for discrimination on the basis of race in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance…
OCR Complaints
OCR COMPLAINT: University of California, Berkeley
On April 9, 2025, Defending Education (DE) brings this complaint against the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) for discrimination on the basis of race in programs or activities that…
OCR Complaints
OCR COMPLAINT: University of Southern Illinois Carbondale
On April 9, 2025, Defending Education (DE) brings this complaint against Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) for discrimination on the basis of race in programs or activities that receive federal…
OCR Complaints
OCR COMPLAINT: University of Wisconsin-Madison
On April, 9, 2025, Defending Education (DE) brings this complaint against the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM) for discrimination on the basis of race in programs or activities that receive federal…
OCR Complaints
Parents Defending Education Files Joint Complaint Against Milwaukee Public School District for Violations Against FERPA and PPRA
Secretary McMahon and Attorney General Bondi, The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (“WILL”) and Alliance Defending Freedom (“ADF”) are non-profit, public interest law firms and policy organizations dedicated…
Press Releases
Parents Defending Education Sends Letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Urging Rescinding of Biden-Era School Discipline Letter
Parents Defending Education is a nationwide, nonpartisan, grassroots organization whose members are primarily parents of school-aged children. We understand that you are reviewing policies adopted by the Biden administration and…
Press Releases
OCR Complaint: Charleston County Public School District
On March 5th, 2025, Parents Defending Education (PDE) brings this complaint against Charleston County Public School District in Charleston, South Carolina for discrimination on the basis of race in programs…
OCR Complaints
OCR COMPLAINT: Portland Public Schools
On March 3, 2025, Parents Defending Education (PDE) brings this complaint against Portland Public Schools (PPS) in Oregon for discrimination on the basis of race in programs or activities that…
OCR Complaints
OCR COMPLAINT: San Leandro Unified School District
On February 24, 2025, Parents Defending Education (PDE) brought this complaint against San Leandro Unified School District in San Leandro, CA for discrimination on the basis of race in programs…
OCR Complaints
OCR COMPLAINT: Chicago Public Schools
Update: As a result of a complaint that Defending Education filed with the Department of Education’s office for Civil Rights in February of this year over Chicago Public…
OCR Complaints
Parents Defending Education and Defense of Freedom Institute send letter to The White House on Strengthening and Preserving the Original Intent of Title IX
On February 19, 2025, Parents Defending Education and the Defense of Freedom Institute sent a letter to James Braid, Director of Office of Legislative Affairs concerning the President’s directive to…
Press Releases
OCR COMPLAINT: Community Unit School District 308
On January 13, 2025, Parents Defending Education (PDE) filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against Community Unit School District 308 in Oswego, Illinois for…
OCR Complaints
OCR COMPLAINT: District of Columbia Public Schools
Parents Defending Education (PDE) has sent a letter to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights requesting an investigation into District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington, DC for…
OCR Complaints
Regulatory Comments
Defending Education submits regulatory comment to the Treasury Department on new national tax credit for contributions to scholarship granting organizations
On December 15, 2025, Defending Education submitted its formal regulatory comment to the U.S. Treasury Department on a new national tax credit that will be granted to individuals for their…
Defending Ed Submits Public Comment On Faulty NEA Data
Created through the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the independent statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Its…
Press Releases
Defending Ed Submits Public Comment on Transparency in College Admissions
The Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard made clear that the consideration of race in higher education admissions violates students’ civil rights. Yet many colleges and…
Press Releases
Federal Trade Commission Calls for Comments on “Gender-Affirming Care” for Minors
Open Date: September 2025 Closed Date: 9/26/25 Agency: Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission has requested public comments on the “Gender Affirming Care” for minors, specifically for how consumers…
Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority
Open Date: September 2025 Closed Date: Agency: Department of Education The Department proposes to amend regulations under the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) to support states in…
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
Open Date: September 2025 Closed Date: 10/17/25 Agency: Department of Education The Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard made clear that the consideration of race in higher…
Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems; Quality Reporting Programs; Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings; and Hospital Price Transparency
Open Date: September 2025 Closed Date: 9/15/25 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Prohibit medical school accreditation criteria that promotes DEI. LEave Comment Read…
Redesigning the Institute of Education Sciences
Open Date: September 2025 Closed Date: 10/17/25 Agency: Department of Education Created through the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the independent…
Restore Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Opened Date: September 2025 Closed Date: 9/17/2025 Agency: Department of Education The Department of Education is proposing amendments to its Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. PSLF dates…
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