On July 17, 2025, FFRF filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance in support of the Skaneateles Central School District in New York. The brief was in defense of the New York school district’s student name/pronoun policy, which was challenged by a parent on religious grounds.
The student, Doe, at the center of this case followed the Skaneateles School District’s policy and asked that their teachers refer to them by a traditionally masculine name and they/them pronouns. Doe also sought counseling from the school’s licensed counselor who then developed a plan to ensure Doe had the support they needed at school. Doe did not initially tell their mother, Jennifer Vitsaxaki, that they asked the school to call them by a different name/pronouns. After learning of Doe’s choice to go by a different name and pronouns at school and seek counseling, Mrs. Vitsaxaki pulled Doe out of the school and proceeded to file this lawsuit. She claimed that the District’s policy was unconstitutional on its face, and that the school specifically violated her right to free exercise of religion, and interfered with her parental rights to direct Doe’s religious upbringing and healthcare decisions.
FFRF’s brief urged the Second Circuit to side with the district and affirm the district court’s ruling that dismissed Vitsaxaki’s claims. The brief argued that the practice of allowing students to use nicknames or preferred names is embedded in the history and tradition of American public schooling. Additionally, the District has a moral and legal duty to protect the welfare and safety of all students, including transgender and gender-nonconforming students.
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