VILLAGE OF DEFOREST, Wis. (WKOW) ? A DeForest resident has filed a lawsuit against the village seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the reintroduction of fluoride into the public water system.
On February 4, Bernard Coxhead filed a motion in Dane County Circuit Court seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction until a federal reassessment of fluoride ingestion risks is completed. The motion requests preservation of the status quo and a prohibition on related public expenditures during this period.
Coxhead argues that reintroducing fluoride before completion of the Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing reassessment is premature, poses potential health risks to vulnerable populations, and would lead to irreversible public expenditures. He requests that the court prohibit the village from taking any further steps toward fluoridation including spending, contracts, or operational changes while the federal review is underway.
Fluoride is not required for water safety and is only added for preventive dental health, not due to any water emergency. DeForest currently does not fluoridate its water and remains in compliance with all state and federal water safety standards. Previously, the village operated a split system (half fluoridated, half not) and moved to a fully non-fluoridated system in 2025.
Village staff are now attempting to reintroduce fluoridation across the entire water system, including areas historically without it. The motion filed by Coxhead argues that reintroducing fluoridation would require irreversible public spending and infrastructure changes, potentially foreclosing future policy options.
27 News reached out to village administrator Bill Chang about the lawsuit. “We are aware of the recently filed summons and complaint and have received service of the documents. We will process the complaint accordingly. We have no further comments on the pending lawsuit,” Chang said in an emailed response.
Dane County Judge Rhonda Lanford is assigned to the case. Judge Lanford has not made a decision on the temporary restraining order and injunction.
Original article online at: https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/deforest-resident-files-lawsuit-to-stop-village-from-adding-fluoride-to-water-supply/article_63cf99ed-f921-40f1-be10-398996517409.html