Officials with the Gardner-Edgerton school district have declined to answer questions about a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Carrie Schmidt, alleging violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments as well as President Donald Trump’s Jan. 29, 2025 executive order “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.”
On Feb. 17, 2025, The Sentinel emailed USD 231 Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Huff a copy of the lawsuit — which had been filed in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas on Feb. 14 — asking for the district’s response. Huff responded that the district had yet to be served and “I prefer to have an official copy before we respond to press requests.”
As of publication, there has been no further response.
The background
The lawsuit stems from Gardner-Edgerton Carrie Schmidt’s objection to certain books and political material within the district.
According to the lawsuit, “USD 231 regularly posted and allowed staff and students to post brochures and posters from the group called GLSEN (formerly the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) in its general hallways and classes. The GLSEN organization opposes efforts by legislators to ban LGBTQ books with sexually explicit themes in government and private schools.
“GLSEN urges teachers to intervene when students in government schools draw graphics or pictures involving sex so as to make sure they are compliant with ‘gender ideology.’ GLSEN provides pronoun guided literature and also advocates hiding kids’ gender transitions from parents and not disclosing to their parents purported ‘gender transitions.’”
In addition, starting in 2022, Schmidt began to question some of the books in the high school curriculum, including “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian “—which has been removed from shelves at many districts for its sexual content and racial slurs, among other things—and multiple other books.
Schmidt also read from several of the books during the public comment period of several USD 231 Board of Education meetings, including “Ban this Book” which includes the names of hundreds of books such as “It’s Perfectly Normal.”
“It’s Perfectly Normal” is a children’s book written by Robie Harris and illustrated by Michael Emberley. The purpose of the book is to inform preadolescent children about puberty by exploring different definitions of sex and it includes graphic descriptions of masturbation, sex, and birth control methods — including the “pull-out” method and “the morning after pill” and abortion.
Schmidt was also publicly excoriated after board member Greg Chapman, who is named in the lawsuit, read from one of the books. Chapman said in a meeting, “It seems like she just gets pleasure from reading books with questionable content to this audience where there are minors listening.”
After Libs of TikTok picked up on the speech and pictures of LGBTQ materials on the outside of teachers’ rooms, Huff formally banned Schmidt from all district activities, including one of her children’s graduation ceremony later this year, and from even attending KSHSAA activities such as regional or state wrestling.
Huff sent Schmidt a letter telling her that ” actions taken by you in violation of Board policy and state law that have resulted in -threats, intimidation, abuse and harassment directed at school district personnel and students which has caused a material disruption to the school environment. Specifically, during your visit to the high school on Monday February 3, 2025, you entered into and took several pictures of classrooms, offices and other areas in the school building to include a picture of the classroom door of a teacher, which was then posted on social media. The taking and posting of this picture was done without the permission and consent of the teacher or the school district and is in contravention of Board policies including Board Policy KGB, KBC, KGD, KGDA, KFD & KM and state law. As a direct result of your actions, numerous threats have been personally directed at the teacher causing her and others to feel harassed, bullied and intimidated causing harm to her and disruption to the school environment. Given your prior experience with social media postings and the resultant threats, harassment, intimidation and disruption, your present conduct was clearly intentional and designed to bully, intimidate and harass the teacher and others, including students, within the district.”
Of course, Schmidt has no control over what Libs of TikTok chooses to post or not post and cannot control what random X (formerly Twitter) users may say or do.
The letter stated Schmidt is “no longer welcome to be on school district property or attend school events or activities without express written permission from building administration. Your presence on school district grounds or at school events or activities, both home and away, without express written permission from building administration will be considered to be and enforced as a trespass,” through the end of the school year.
“I am heartbroken that my school district Superintendent has decided to use me and my children as his poster child in opposing President Trump’s K-12 Executive Order,” Schmidt said in a statement to the Sentinel “Superintendent Huff’s decision to remove me from the Educational Services Advisory Committee is his way of censorship and manipulating public input and debate about the inappropriate literature made available to Gardner Edgerton students.”
Schmidt’s attorney, Linus Baker, agreed.
“When President Trump made his January 29, 2025, executive order titled ‘ENDING RADICAL INDOCTRINATION IN K-12 SCHOOLING‘ he had in mind all of the LGTBQ books, posters, and stickers the Gardner Edgerton Kansas school district promotes and exposes to its students without any disclaimers,” Baker said. “Because Carrie Schmidt exposed and confronted this school district about this material President Trump’s executive order referred to, this school district has retaliated many times over against Carrie and her children. Superintendent Huff believes this school district is his fiefdom to punish in Star Chamber fashion this parent who is doing the right thing not only for her children but all children in that district. The retaliation by this school district in the many forms it has taken is shockingly breathtaking.”
Baker has filed as well a motion for a preliminary injunction against the ban, stating in part, that the ban is unconstitutional because sporting events and school board meetings are “at least limited public forums.”
In the lawsuit, Schmidt is seeking total removal of the ban as well a finding that the district’s policies are unconstitutionally vague, attorneys fees and any damages that might be awarded.
