Gardner mom suing school district after being banned from property is temporarily back in

GARDNER, Kan. (KCTV) - A woman with two children in the Gardner Edgerton School District is taking the district to court after receiving a letter prohibiting her from visiting school properties or attending school events.

Carrie Schmidt claims the district is violating her rights and is taking the matter to federal court in Topeka. The 70-page lawsuit is against the district, the superintendent, a board member, and the high school principal.

“I don’t know how anybody can walk away from that if they have the opportunity to file a lawsuit, to stand up to, you know, government overreach,” Schmidt said.

What brought this on?

Schmidt believes the Garnder-Edgerton School District is violating the “spirit and intent” of an Executive Order to end “indoctrination” in K-12 schools that President Donald Trump signed in January.

ALSO Read: Trump administration gives schools a deadline to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money

According to the lawsuit, Schmidt was at the high school in February, filling snack bags for the school’s wrestling team. It’s a service she provides regularly.

On this night, while making her way through the halls, she found signs posted in various locations, identifying a “Safe Space” for LGBTQ+ students. She also found flyers about a Gay-Straight Alliance Club and a poster for teachers who are “trusted adults” — someone students can confide in about concerns or problems.

“As a parent, I have every right to see what, what my children are seeing, what everybody else’s children are seeing,” Schmidt said. She added, “And so, I just was taking pictures of it.”

Schmidt sent the photos to a far-right, anti-LGBTQ social media account, Libs of TikTok, which posted them on X — one of the photos included a teacher’s name.

“It’s my First Amendment right,” Schmidt said.

In the lawsuit, Schmidt includes a letter the district sent her after the photos were posted:

“Actions taken by you in violation of board policy and state law have resulted in threats, intimidation, abuse, and harassment directed at school district personnel and students.”

The letter went on to prohibit Schmidt from visiting school property or school events without permission.

In a preliminary hearing on March 20, Schmidt was granted a preliminary injunction, meaning she can be at school events open to the public while the lawsuit winds through the courts.

KCTV5 Investigates asked Schmidt if she felt the photos led to the teacher being harassed.

“I have every right to take a picture of an object of something. I didn’t take pictures of kids. I didn’t take, you know, everything was in the public view,” Schmidt said. She also said that she didn’t choose the pictures that were posted.

We asked the Gardner Edgerton School District for a response to the lawsuit. The district declined an interview, but in a statement said:

USD 231 has recently been named in a lawsuit filed by Carrie Schmidt. USD 231 is fully prepared to defend its actions in court and, because this matter is in litigation, will not be providing public comment on the matter other than through the court proceedings. USD 231 serves nearly 6,000 students and employs close to 1,000 staff members. Our top priority is ensuring a safe, supportive, and respectful learning and working environment, free from threats, intimidation, and harassment.

We will continue to prioritize the well-being of our students and staff as we uphold our commitment to a positive educational environment.

Schmidt is known to school districts

Carrie Schmidt is well known to school board members, not only in the Gardner Edgerton district but in Lawrence as well.

She’s attended multiple school board meetings, campaigning to have certain books banned from the districts.

At the meetings, she read obscenities and sexually explicit material from books — books she claimed were available in school libraries. Schmidt was escorted out of the March 10 Lawrence School Board Meeting by police.

Schmidt believes her ban of school events is connected to her book ban campaigns.

“I’m being retaliated against, and I feel like it’s because of me challenging books and me speaking out,” Schmidt said.

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