A Wisconsin mother is taking legal action against the Green Bay Area School District, claiming her dyslexic son was denied essential reading interventions because of his race. The case, spearheaded by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), challenges the district’s policy of prioritizing literacy resources for specific racial groups while leaving other students in need without sufficient support.

The controversy centers on the district’s “School Success Plan,” which explicitly states that additional literacy resources will be directed toward Black, Hispanic, and Native American students. Colbey Decker, the mother filing the complaint, discovered this policy after her son was repeatedly denied individualized reading support despite his clear need for assistance.

Decker’s son, diagnosed with dyslexia in 2022, began attending a district school in early 2024. Despite providing documentation of his diagnosis and advocating for one-on-one intervention, the family faced delays and inadequate responses. In April, the boy was placed on a waitlist for Tier 2 reading intervention, which fell short of addressing his needs. Later, he was admitted to a Tier 3 program, but it involved small group sessions rather than the individualized instruction required for his condition. According to the complaint, these delays have hindered his ability to keep up in school, impacting his performance across subjects.

In email communications with Decker, the school principal acknowledged the district’s focus on prioritizing certain racial groups for resources. This left Decker stunned, prompting her to seek legal counsel from WILL. “The school implied that my child would already be receiving support if he were Black, Hispanic, or Native American,” she stated. “I believe every child in need deserves help, and using diversity as an excuse creates division and harms all students.”

Email exchange between Mrs. Decker and the school:

WILL’s Education Counsel, Cory Brewer, emphasized the importance of early intervention for dyslexia and denounced the district’s policy as discriminatory. “By prioritizing students based on race, the district is excluding other children who need help,” Brewer said. “We are committed to exhausting every legal option to ensure no child is denied the support they deserve.”