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Wednesday, July 9, 2025

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Sun Prairie School District Racks Up $2,781 in Attorney Fees to Send Mom Cease & Desist Letter

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A law firm representing the Sun Prairie School District charged the district more than $2,700 to write and send a cease-and-desist letter to a local mother, demanding that she stop her “persistent questioning of District curriculum” after she emailed Creekside Elementary School Principal Kyle Walsh concerns about a book on transgender issues that he recorded himself reading to elementary school students.

In February, WRN reported that the letter demanded the parent never suggest to Walsh in emails or other communication that reading the book is “disturbing.” The letter says its second purpose “is to address your persistent questioning of District curriculum and to direct you to cease and desist in any manner other than to comply with School District policy.”

Walsh is the principal who recently caused controversy for writing in an email to parents that “white privilege is an unlimited ATM, it never runs out.”

Axley Attorneys, a Madison law firm, sent the letter on Feb. 20, 2023, to parent Kris Ganske, a well-known anti-bullying advocate in the district and mother of a first grader. The four-page letter is signed by attorney Lori M. Lubinsky, who wrote that she represents the Sun Prairie Area School District.

Through an open records request, WRN obtained Axley Attorneys’ invoice summary for fees related to the cease & desist letter. The invoice, dated March 20, shows the Sun Prairie School District was billed in the amount of $2,781.60.

The invoice detailed multiple reviews, phone calls, drafts, reviews, zoom calls and emails with the “client.” In total, Attorney Lori Lubinsky charged the school district for 10.3 hours of work at a rate of $270/hour.

You can see the full invoice here:


Ganske told Wisconsin Right Now in February that her central concern was that the book was being read to first graders without more involvement from parents. Lubinsky previously represented the Wauwatosa School District in an open records lawsuit relating to its “gender identity curriculum.” She also represented DePere School District against a challenge to its COVID policies.

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The Sun Prairie Star previously named the parent, Ganske, one of its “20 to watch in 2020,” writing, “Star readers recall that Ganske was among those who publicly took on the Sun Prairie School Board in order to get the board to do something about pervasive reports of bullying in Sun Prairie Area School District public schools.”

The book in question is called “When Aidan Became a Brother,” according to an email Walsh sent Creekside staff, which was obtained by Wisconsin Right Now. The 2019 picture book “celebrates the changes in a transgender boy’s life, from his initial coming-out to becoming a big brother,” according to its Amazon page.

Sun prairie school

“The main thing I have to say about this book being read to first graders…My issue is not the content of the book; my issues and concerns come from the conversations that may be had after the book,” Ganske, the mother of an LGBT child herself, told WRN.

“The questions, concerns and confusions a young child may have,” Ganske added, saying she believes parents were not prepared enough.

Ganske said she asked that “more controversial lessons be transparent.”

The parent expressed her concerns in multiple lengthy emails to Walsh. In an email to Ganske in early February, Walsh did note that we “can certainly find time for you to meet with your child’s teacher in advance of any concerning content or topics, and you can decide if you’d like (her son) to be removed from the learning.”

 

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“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.

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