Wisconsin Christian Counselors Sue Over State Therapy Rule After Supreme Court Decision

Christian counselors in Wisconsin filed suit in May challenging a state administrative rule that limits the therapy options they may offer minors struggling with their biological sex. The rule permits counselors to guide clients only toward medical interventions and prohibits discussion of other approaches, according to the complaint.

Background on the Colorado Precedent In March the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Chiles v. Salazar that a Colorado law requiring counselors to affirm transgender identification amounted to viewpoint discrimination. The decision held that the Colorado statute regulated speech based on viewpoint and therefore violated the First Amendment.

A deputy counsel for the group stated that the rule bans counselors from offering certain perspectives in private, voluntary sessions with clients who seek faith-based advice. " — Rebecca Furdek, Deputy Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, July 3, 2026 (Daily Caller) The group contends the rule constitutes the type of viewpoint discrimination the Supreme Court has called the most blatant First Amendment violation.

2025 the Wisconsin legislature passed Senate Bill 324, which prohibits mental health providers from performing conversion therapy on minors and defines the practice to include any intervention aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity.

The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment on whether the administration plans to repeal or modify the administrative rule following the March Supreme Court decision.