Across the country, reliably red communities like this one assume their schools reflect their values. One by one, they’re learning that assumption is wrong.
he School District of New Richmond in Wisconsin secretly implemented a transgender bathroom policy, and last Tuesday night during an explosive school board meeting, parents revolted en masse.
New Richmond, a small northwestern city of only 10,000, is like many communities in the region — mostly white, conservative, and broadly working and middle-class. It sits in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, where I’m currently running for Congress in 2026 and where President Trump won by more than 20 points in 2024.
Across the country, reliably red communities like this one assume their schools reflect their values. One by one, they’re learning that assumption is wrong. This week, it was New Richmond’s turn.
I attended the packed, four-hour emergency school board meeting Tuesday night. Here are five key takeaways.
1. The Board Voted Against Protecting Girls
Last month, parents learned that, for years, the district has allowed male students who identify as female to use girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. The policy was never formally disclosed to parents, but it was an open secret among students — many of whom were reportedly too afraid to speak up for fear of being labeled “bigoted” or “transphobic,” according to Moms for Liberty activist Scarlett Johnson.
On Tuesday night, I listened to Ella, a junior, tell the board she feels “uncomfortable,” “anxious,” and “embarrassed” over the policy, and even avoids using the restroom during the school day. “Girls should not have to stand in front of adults and beg to feel safe at school,” she said.