American Family Association: Public School Gave Gender Identity and Pronoun Counseling to 13-Year-Old Without Parents’ Consent

TUPELO, Miss. — Two parents in Leon County, Florida are alleging in a lawsuit that the public school their 13-year-old daughter attends circumvented them by counseling their daughter regarding her pronouns and gender identity. The suit says officials discussed her restroom and overnight trip choices without their knowledge, causing “great harm” to their daughter and “driving a wedge” in their family.

In response to this lawsuit, the local superintendent stood behind the schools’ decision, stating, “We certainly want to include parents… but we also have to respect the rights of the individuals [and the] safety of the children we care for each and every day. While the children are in our care we act in loco parentis, on behalf of a parent while they’re under our care.”

In response to the news of this lawsuit, American Family Association (AFA, afa.net) stands with the Florida couple and parents everywhere, reinforcing that the duty of parents is to oversee the education of their children.

“The sound of wake-up calls for parents are being heard all over the nation, as more and more school districts are showing their true colors,” said Ed Vitagliano, AFA’s executive vice president. “The sinister actions of school officials in Leon County, Florida, should make parents’ blood run cold. Under no conditions should parents be circumvented on such important issues as gender identity. 

“However, this has been going on for decades now. Whether it has been schools taking girls to get an abortion, encouraging children to have sex, or promoting homosexual propaganda––all without informing parents––the public school system in America has increasingly become a dictatorship. Many of these schools have ceased to serve the community and instead have become brainwashing centers in order to create good ‘progressive’ drones for the beehive. While many parents are finally waking up, the battle is just beginning.”

For over 40 years, AFA has operated within the mission to inform, equip and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission.  Founded in 1977, AFA has long been on the front lines of America’s culture war. Today, AFA is one of the largest and most effective pro-family organizations in the country, with nearly a million online supporters and approximately 160,000 subscribers to the AFA Journal, the ministry’s monthly magazine.  Find AFA Action Alerts here.  In addition, AFA owns and operates nearly 180 radio stations across the country under the American Family Radio banner. 

View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.        

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To interview American Family Association Executive Vice President Ed Vitagliano, or another AFA spokesperson, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Harrison, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.