Parents sue Rockford school district over pronouns
ROCKFORD, Mich. (WOOD) — Two parents have filed a lawsuit against Rockford Public School District for using male pronouns for their child without their knowledge.
According to court documents, Dan and Jennifer Mead’s child, who is biologically female and identifies as male, attended the school district starting in kindergarten.
In middle school, the student started meeting with a school counselor. The school counselor was in regular contact with the parents about the child, discussing things like their mental health, school work and recent autism diagnosis.
In May of 2022, the student asked the counselor to tell teachers to use he/him pronouns and a masculine name when referring to the student. That fall, as the then-13-year-old entered 8th grade, teachers referred to the student with he/him pronouns and used the student’s preferred masculine name, but the school did not notify the parents.
According to the lawsuit, it is the district’s policy to use students’ chosen name and pronouns and to not notify parents if a student is not out to them.
In October of 2022, the Meads found out the school had been referring to their child with he/him pronouns when a school employee sent over an official report and had inadvertently included a note from a teacher that used he/him pronouns and referred to the student with their preferred name.
The Meads ultimately withdrew their student from the school and switched to homeschooling.
The lawsuit, filed Monday by the Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of the parents, says by referring to the Mead’s child by a masculine name and pronouns without notifying them, the school violated their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
The Meads are Christian and say “socially transitioning” their child from their biological sex is against their religious beliefs.
“Parents, not the government, have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and health care of their children,” ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, director of ADF’s Center for Parental Rights, said in a release. “Schools should never deliberately hide vital information from parents, yet that’s exactly what the Rockford Public School District did. District employees didn’t even notify Dan and Jennifer—let alone seek their consent—before beginning to call their young daughter by a masculine name and male pronouns. Worse, district policy required employees to alter official records to conceal the district’s actions. By intentionally concealing this information from the Meads, the school district violated their constitutionally protected right to make decisions regarding their daughter’s education and wellbeing and destroyed the trust the Mead family had placed in the district and its employees.”
The lawsuit asks that the district’s policy be declared against the First and Fourteenth Amendments. It also requests nominal and compensatory damages — Dan Mead could not go back to work because the parents decided to homeschool their child — and attorney fees.
Rockford Public School District Superintendent Steven Matthews, Ed.D., said the district had not yet been served with the legal documents.
“As such we have not read through them completely,” he said in a statement. “We respect the privacy of this family and as such have no comment at this time. Our staff continue to support all students and their families as we work together to help our students learn and grow.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
