The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity has released a new report raising concerns about the state’s current approach to energy and climate policy. The report titled, "Freezing in the Dark: The Staggering Costs & Risks of RI’s Green Energy Policies,"  provides an overview of how existing mandates and regulations could negatively impact electricity costs, grid reliability, and long-term infrastructure planning.

Freezing in the Dark: The Staggering Costs & Risks of RI’s Green Energy Policies

A new report from the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity, titled Freezing in the Dark, warns that the Ocean State’s green energy mandates are pushing residents toward a future of unaffordable electricity and unreliable power. With some of the highest energy prices in the nation, Rhode Islanders are already feeling the impact of policies that outpace technological readiness and ignore infrastructure limitations.

Media Release: “Jane Doe” Sues RIDE after Secretly Transitioned Daughter’s Suicide Attempt

Providence, RI – Last evening, the Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity filed a complaint in Rhode Island Superior Court against Angelica Infante-Green in her capacity as Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Education, seeking to strike down the Commissioner’s 2018 Regulation 200-RICR-30-10-1, dealing with gender identity.

The complaint also includes a motion for a preliminary injunction, petitioning the Court to immediately “bar enforcement” of the regulation.

On February 13, the Law Centre filed a legal letter requesting RIDE to repeal the regulation, claiming it “has no basis in state law and is contrary to federal law.” A subsequent letter from RIDE denied the request. Yesterday’s Superior Court filing is the prescribed next step in the appeals process.

The complaint lists “Jane Doe” as plaintiff, whose tragic story can only be attributed to the misguided policies and egregious actions of her daughter’s public school district, which were based on the RIDE regulation in question as well as RIDE’s guidance on trans-gender issues.

According to the complaint“Unknown to Plaintiff, her daughter (as an 8th-grader) began to socially transition to a boy at school, with the help of school personnel.”

Because of RIDE’s guidance and polices, the complaint further states that “school personnel felt emboldened and compelled to encourage the daughter’s social transition, and to hide this fact from Plaintiff.”

Two years later, in the spring of 2024, as a 10th grader, the daughter attempted to commit suicide. Only then did the mother, Jane Doe, learn of her child’s multi-year transition.

“It can no longer be denied that these non-science based transgender policies have caused actual harm to actual people,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “Our attorneys have blown away the argument that aiding in a minor’s transition is somehow beneficial to students and their families.”

The school district continues to keep secrets from Plaintiff, as it has subsequently refused to turn over the medical records of the daughter, a minor, despite an official release signed by her mother and legal guardian. A separate complaint was filed this past Friday with RIDE seeking the records that the daughter’s mother is legally entitled to.

According to the Superior Court complaint, “Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer harm,” as a direct result of the Commissioner of Education’s interpretation and enactment of RIDE’s regulations and guidance.

Further details of Plaintiff’s story are expected to be publicized in the coming days, including how she lost her school district job as a result of her daughter’s secret transition.

There are two primary legal arguments detailed in the Superior Court complaint. First, that RIDE purposefully miscited state law to justify its 2018 regulation, therefore “there is no (state) statutory basis” for it. Second, that current RIDE and school district policies regarding trans-gender students is a violation of current federal law and Title IX regulations.

The complaint was filed by attorney Gregory Piccirilli, who is a member of the Law Centre sub-committee of the Board of Directors for the RI Center for Freedom of Prosperity. He, along with sub-committee chair, Giovanni Cicione, and fellow member, attorney Susan McGee Cienki, are available for media interviews, upon request.

In a major victory for advocates seeking to protect women's K-12 sports in the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL), under threat of legal action and public pressure, has radically altered its rules and regulations that allow biological boys to compete in girls' K-12 sports.

Major Victory For Rhode Island Advocates Seeking To Protect Women’s K-12 Sports

Cranston, RI – In a major victory for advocates seeking to protect women’s K-12 sports in the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL), under threat of legal action and public pressure, has radically altered its rules and regulations that allow biological boys to compete in girls’ K-12 sports.

The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity has obtained a March 14 email from RIIL Executive Director, Michael Lunney, sent to all member school principals and athletic directors, advising them of revised guidance and a near complete re-write of its Article 3 Section 3 “gender eligibility” regulations.

While RIIL’s revised policies still allow schools to determine the gender of students wishing to compete in RIIL-sanctioned competitions, the pro-trans-gender regulation has been dramatically weakened and no longer provides legal cover for schools. The revised regulation now shifts legal responsibility to schools, requiring that they determine how to comply with state and federal law in this regard, putting individual schools and school districts at even greater legal peril.

“While we welcome this important step, RIIL still has not completely protected girls’s sports and the safety of female athletes,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “This clever legal maneuver is not enough. Ultimately, RIIL needs to completely prohibit biological boys from ever being able to compete in girls’ sports.”

In addition to ongoing public pressure from crusaders like Robert Chiaradio, an open letter from former prominent Rhode Island student athletes, persistent social media posts, and over 200 petition signers of petition offered by our Center … perhaps the final pressure-items was a federal civil rights complaint filed by our Center’s “Law Centre” naming RIIL (as well as the RI AG, RIDE, and six school districts) as respondents deserving of an Office of Civil Rights investigation for violations of Title IX and federal law. A full chronology of related actions can be found at RIFreedom.org/titleix.

Noting such “significant attention and focus” on the issue, Lunney’s email confirmed that the Principals Committee on Athletics voted and approved the revisions. Article 3, Section 3B-1 (Determination of Gender Based Eligibility) was reduced from a full page to a single paragraph: “1) The RIIL recognizes the value of participation in interscholastic sports for all member-school student athletes. Member schools are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable state and federal law when determining gender-based eligibility for participation. Per Article 2, Section 3B, “proof of and maintenance of eligibility is the exclusive and continuing obligation of the member Principal.”

Expunged from the rules are the gratuitous statements that recognized the rights of students to compete according to their preferred gender identity, as well as instructions for schools on how they might recognize that a biological boy would be allowed to compete in RIIL girls’ sports.

Lunney’s email concludes by stating, “Moving forward, in order to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, it is our recommendation that member schools consult with their legal counsel when making eligibility determinations for participation.”

NOTE: The Center will reach out to Mr. Lunney for additional comment and will provide appropriate updates.

The Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today published a legal letter and filed an official request with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) requesting that it repeal its 2018 Transgender Regulation.

Center Requests RIDE to Repeal Its Transgender Regulation

Regulation Has No Basis in State Law, Violates Federal Law

Response Submitted To RIDE on February 14, 2025 following Projo Article

Click here for the February 28, 20205 letter from the Rhode Island Attorney General essentially urging Local Education Agencies, School Administrators and Educators to ignore federal law

The Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today published a legal letter and filed an official request with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) requesting that it repeal its 2018 Transgender Regulation.

As was detailed in the letter, “… this regulation has no basis in state law and is contrary to federal law and guidelines. As such, the Rhode Island Department of Education has placed itself and every member school district in this State at risk of civil rights violations, which are likely lead to investigations by the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, loss of federal funding, and/or discrimination lawsuits from aggrieved individuals.”

RIDE’s 2018 Regulation required each school district or LEA (Local Education Agency) to “adopt a policy addressing the rights of trans-gender and gender non-conforming students … ”

However, it appears that RIDE purposefully manipulated and dishonestly cited language from state law in justifying its Regulation by including “gender” and “sexual orientation” phrases that do not exist in the statute.

Attorney Gregory Piccirilli, advisor to the Law Centre who crafted the letter, this morning filed a formal petition with RIDE to request repeal Board of Education Regulation 200-RICR-30-10-1.

To avoid legal and financial consequences, the Center recommends that both RIDE and every school district in the State should rescind their existing transgender policies, if they were based on RIDE’s illegitimate Regulation and guidance, and to craft their own policies that comply with actual state and federal law.

Piccirilli is a member of the Law Centre sub-committee of the Board of Directors for the RI Center for Freedom of Prosperity. He, along with sub-committee chair, Giovanni Cicione, and fellow member, attorney Sue Cienki, are available for media interviews, upon request.

The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity announced today that it has partnered with the RI Coalition for Israel (RICI) to encourage members of the public to register for a compelling online event this coming Sunday.

PRESS RELEASE: Center Sponsors Online Forum on Hamas’ Oct 7th Sexual Violence

April 7 Forum to Expose Truth of October 7 Sexual Violence
Public Invited to Register for Online Event this Sunday

Cranston, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity announced today that it has partnered with the RI Coalition for Israel (RICI) to encourage members of the public to register for a compelling online event this coming Sunday.

Entitled “The Reality of Sexual Violence in War”, the April 7, 2:00 PM EST Zoom-based event will feature as keynote speakers two internationally prominent Jewish women – Nitsana Darshan-Leitner and Susan Seely – who will discuss and display images of some of the carnage and aftermath of the brutal attacks by Hamas on the people of Israel last October 7. Local organizations that work with women will also present during the 90-minute forum.

According to RICI, there is a public need to raise awareness about Hamas’ use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war, in direct violation of the international rules of war. This 6-month remembrance event, presented by RICI and the RI Chapter of Hadassah, is designed to erase doubts that Hamas utilized sexual and gender-base violence as a weapon of war and intimidation … a documented fact that has often been dismissed as Israeli propaganda by enemies of Israel.

As the event’s promotional co-sponsor, the Center conducted an in-depth interview with two leaders of RICI on its popular podcast, In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse, and is raising awareness via its media, email, and social media apparatus.

“Given the many anti-Semitic and pro-Palestinian protests across the country and here in Rhode Island, it is important that the public understand the abject brutality that occurred on October 7,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “Hopefully, such knowledge will bring more balance to the debate about Israel’s need to eliminate Hamas in Gaza vs. calls for a cease-fire.”

Sunday’s web-based event is open to and free for all to attend, with registration options below:

Visit TinyURL.com/NeverSilenced6
Visit RICI’s Facebook page and follow the links