Defending Education’s lawsuit against Olentangy Local Schools in Ohio, which began in May 2023, has ended in victory. The case challenged the district’s anti-harassment and pronoun policies as unconstitutional limits on students’ speech.
On May 15, 2026, the court entered a consent decree, a court order the parties agreed to. It orders the district not to enforce the “discriminatory language” and “harassment” rules in its Code of Conduct against any student who refuses to use required “preferred pronouns.” The court also ordered the district to train all employees at the start of the next school year on how to protect students’ free speech rights.
Building on this win, DE looks forward to continuing its work to strengthen students’ First Amendment rights in schools across the country.
Read the full order below:
