Girls Have Civil Rights. Defend Them: Launch Of Title IX Resource Hub, Yesterday’s Chicago Press Conference, and the Federal Appeal to Protect Female Students
- Awake IL
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Click timestamps to watch these segments:
0:00 Press Conference Opens
0:18 Attorney Ajay Gupta announces the federal appeal filed in Seventh Circuit 4:08 Student plaintiff's father James Fisher gives remarks on defending Title IX
7:25: Valley View School 365 Parent Paulina Kraśniewska-Worwa gives remarks
12:15 Awake IL founder Shannon Adcock remarks on support of the federal appeal 18:38 Press Conference Closes
Yesterday, outside the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago, Awake Illinois stood with attorney Ajay Gupta, Illinois families, and supporters to announce a critical next step in the fight for girls’ privacy, safety, and equal protection under the law: a federal appeal of a dismissed case against Valley View School District 365. See recap below.
We also launched a dedicated Title IX page at awakeil.com/titleix as a central hub for updates, resources, case documents, and ways to get involved.
This is grassroots advocacy in action in a deep-blue state: parents showing up, speaking out, and demanding that Title IX - the landmark federal law written to protect biological females in education, sports, and private spaces - be enforced as intended.
Not rewritten or erased by ideology.
The Case: F.F. v. Valley View Community Unit School District No. 365U
At the center is the case of F.F., a female student at Bolingbrook High School in Valley View Community Unit School District 365U. The district’s policy permits biological males access to girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms based on gender identity. In November 2024, F.F. encountered a biological male in the girls’ bathroom—an incident that caused real distress and highlighted the broader failure to protect single-sex spaces.
The family, supported by Awake Illinois, pursued every avenue. Awake Illinois filed a federal civil rights complaint to the Department of Education in 2025 and to the Dept. of Justice in May of this year. After the district rejected internal Title IX complaints, a federal lawsuit was filed in August 2025 alleging violations of Title IX (sex-based discrimination) and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
No monetary damages are sought—only the restoration of protected female spaces.
District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman denied a preliminary injunction on September 30, 2025. On or around July 16, 2026, the court dismissed the case, effectively ruling that girls have no protected civil right to single-sex facilities. That decision sets a dangerous precedent affecting thousands of female students across Illinois and beyond.
The Federal Appeal and Yesterday’s Press Conference
On August 5, 2026, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Yesterday’s press conference formally announced this appeal and underscored why it matters. Attorney Ajay Gupta, who has provided pro bono representation, stated:
“Today the plaintiffs have filed a notice of appeal to the Seventh Circuit. Based on the Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. BPJ, we are confident the Seventh Circuit will reverse the district court’s dismissal of the complaint. We expect to be back here in this district court litigating this case.”
James Fisher, father of the student plaintiff, spoke powerfully about protecting every girl in the district:
“Pro athlete Sophie Cunningham recently said ‘I want to protect young girls in a locker room or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.’ Courage is contagious. I am with Sophie. I am here to protect every girl in this District who deserves to feel safe. We will continue this fight. In the courts and in our community for as long as it takes until the rights of female students are fully restored.”
Shannon Adcock and the Awake Illinois team emphasized that this is not about special treatment—it is about enforcing existing law. Title IX was never meant to erase biological sex. Biology is not bigotry. Girls’ rights are not up for debate.
Valley View School District 365 mother Paulina Kraśniewska-Worwa spoke to her concerns over protecting her daughter from ideological policies that prioritize males over females:
It is important to protect the privacy and safety of biological girls in school restrooms. Our daughters DO NOT feel comfortable sharing restrooms and locker rooms with individuals who are biologically male. Why should my daughter have to leave the girls space to accommodate someone else's sense of belonging."
Awake IL founder spoke to why we are supporting this federal appeal by covering the court fees and submitting federal civil rights complaints to defend the civil rights of females:
So, the court essentially said that girls in Illinois have no civil rights when it comes to single-sex bathrooms. That the girl's discomfort doesn't matter. That biology doesn't matter. That Title IX, the very law designated to protect females, can be rewritten by ideology. We reject that completely.
Photos and video from the event captured signs reading “GIRLS HAVE CIVIL RIGHTS. DEFEND THEM.” and the determination of families who refuse to stay silent while ideology overrides privacy and safety in Illinois schools.
Our New Title IX Page: Resources, Updates, and Action
Visit https://www.awakeil.com/titleix for:
Full background and status on the F.F. / Valley View case and the pending Seventh Circuit appeal
Related court documents and oral argument materials
Links to U.S. Department of Education explanations of Title IX
Information on other federal efforts, including DOJ investigations into Illinois school districts and Awake Illinois’ portal for anonymous reporting of evidence
Livestreams, town halls, and past updates featuring Attorney Ajay Gupta and legal experts
Press kits and contact for media inquiries (info@awakeIL.com)
Direct donation links to support the cases (court fees and ongoing legal work)
Awake Illinois is mobilizing additional plaintiffs and families harmed by similar policies. If your daughter or school has been affected by males in girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, or sports, contact us at info@awakeIL.com.
These cases protect far more than one student—they safeguard a generation of Illinois girls.
Why Our Work Matters
Policies that prioritize gender identity over biological sex create hostile environments for female students, undermine parental rights, and contradict the plain text and purpose of Title IX. Across Illinois, schools have followed state guidance that conflicts with federal law and recent Supreme Court direction. Parents are done waiting. We are filing complaints, supporting litigation, partnering with federal investigators, and showing up in public.
This is what holding the line looks like. We are not asking for special treatment. We are demanding the law be enforced.
Support the fight: Donate to the cases and our efforts HERE. Share the resources. Speak at school boards.
Girls have civil rights. Defend them. Onward for Illinois.
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