Rawlins v. Ulrich

Thomas More Society is standing up for parents’ right to be informed about their children’s education.

On May 23, 2024, on behalf of Missouri residents Courtney Rawlins and Stacy Winters, Thomas More Society attorneys sued the Kirkwood School District, Superintendent David Ulrich, and Custodian of Records Laura Heidenreich for refusing to disclose information that parents are entitled to under the Missouri Sunshine Law—which requires any public entity in the state of Missouri to share public records and information upon request.  

Throughout the course of the past year, Rawlins and Winters submitted 14 Sunshine requests to Kirkwood School District requesting information on any records pertaining to matters such as curriculum and protocol the school was following to restrict student access to explicit content via school-distributed devices.  

One such request asked for information regarding an illegally distributed survey about students’ sexual activities, sent by a Kirkwood School District student yearbook member. Parents did not become aware of the survey until after it was covered by national news, despite the law requiring parents to be notified of a school survey’s content prior to its distribution to students.  

Kirkwood School District staff members failed to comply with the plaintiffs’ requests for information, excessively delaying response, lying to parents, denying that the information could be provided, and blaming students for illegal communications.

Parents have a right to be concerned about their children. They also have a right to know what is happening in their children’s schools. No educator or educational institution should gatekeep information from parents, especially when it concerns the child’s well-being and formation. Thomas More Society will continue to advocate on behalf of parents, protecting the sanctity of the family and parents' right to seek out information about their children’s education.