Shaun P. Duerr has filed a compelling legal complaint against several defendants, including the Rusk County Circuit Court and Judge Annette Barna, alleging retaliation under federal disability laws. The complaint was filed on November 20, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. Duerr is seeking an emergency preliminary injunction to halt what he claims are unlawful actions that have stripped him of his parenting rights and violated his daughter’s federally protected educational rights.
The heart of Duerr’s complaint lies in accusations of ADA retaliation by state actors who allegedly used custody orders as a weapon against him for advocating under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). He argues that these actions have unlawfully removed his legal and physical custody without due process or evidence of harm. “The orders enforcing these deprivations were ghostwritten by adversarial actors…and rubber-stamped by Judge Annette Barna,” states Duerr in his filing.
Duerr’s legal battle began when he pursued therapy and special education referrals for his daughter N.D., which he claims triggered retaliatory actions from both private individuals and state court actors between April and September 2025. On July 24, 2025, during a court hearing, Judge Barna allegedly criticized Duerr’s advocacy efforts regarding N.D.’s suspected ADHD diagnosis, marking a shift towards what Duerr describes as overt retaliation. This led to an order on July 29, modifying custody authority without any evidentiary basis or motion.
In response to Duerr’s federal ADA filings on July 29, opposing parties characterized these as signs of mental instability and sought psychological evaluations and drug testing. Despite clean drug test results, subsequent court orders continued to restrict Duerr’s parental rights based on alleged non-compliance with medications—a claim he disputes as lacking medical basis.
Duerr is not seeking damages but rather injunctive relief to restore access to federally mandated education services for N.D., prevent further retaliation under ADA laws, and protect her developmental health. He argues that both he and N.D. face irreparable harm without immediate court intervention—highlighting the importance of maintaining educational access during critical developmental stages.
Representing himself pro se, Shaun P. Duerr requests the court to suspend all unlawful custody-related orders issued post-July 24, reinstate his parenting time as it existed before this date, prohibit interference with federally protected evaluations for N.D., and bar any retaliatory psychological evaluations imposed upon him.
This case is being heard by Judge William M. Conley under Case ID: 3:25-cv-00957-wmc. As it unfolds in federal court, it raises significant questions about parental rights under disability law protections and judicial accountability in family law matters involving disabled parents.
Source: 325cv00957_Duerr_v_Rusk_County_Circuit_Court_Complaint_Western_District_Wisconsin.pdf
