A mother and daughter have settled with Spreckels Union School District in California after the school allegedly tried to socially transition her daughter behind her back.
Jessica Konen, represented by The Center for American Liberty, filed the lawsuit after a school allegedly recruited her sixth grade daughter, Alicia, into an “Equality Club,” where she was taught about bisexuality and transgender identity. The school allegedly took active steps to help Alicia conceal her identity as a boy, giving her articles on how to keep her identity a secret from her parents. Alicia was also allegedly allowed to use the unisex teachers’ restroom instead of the girl’s restroom without her parent’s knowledge. (RELATED: Mom Sues School That Allegedly Hid Her Daughter’s Gender Transition, Provided Chest Binders)
“This is a huge win for Jessica and Alicia, and it’s also a win for parents across the country,” The Center for American Liberty said in a press release, following the $100,000 settlement. “Increasingly, schools are pushing radical gender ideology on young students and socially transitioning vulnerable children—without parental notification or consent.”
Center for American Liberty is proud to announce a settlement in Konen v. Spreckels Union School District that resulted in a $100,000 payment by the school district to Jessica and Alicia for the violation of their rights.
Thanks for all the hard work @pnjaban, @mark_trammell,… pic.twitter.com/wdORxgueEH— Center for American Liberty (@Liberty_Ctr) August 29, 2023
“Parents have a fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children. Parental Secrecy policies, as employed by the Spreckels Union School District and by schools across the country, unconstitutionally rob parents of that right.”
School staff reportedly threatened to call Child Protective Services when Jessica refused to refer to her daughter as a man. Konen’s husband, Gunter, was informed of his daughter’s transition during a meeting with the middle school’s principal and another teacher.
“We are thrilled to have played a role in this landmark victory, which sends a clear message that parental rights must be respected,” Harmeet Dhillon, CEO of the Center for American Liberty, said in a statement provided to the Caller. “Jessica and Alicia’s courage has inspired countless others to defend their rights against unwarranted intrusions.”
Chico Unified School Board in California voted in April to keep a school policy which allows teachers to keep a student’s gender transition a secret. The vote occurred despite a lawsuit brought by Aurora Regino, a mother who alleges the school helped her daughter secretly transition genders.