America First Legal (AFL) has filed an amended complaint in the case of Walden v. Mesa Unified School District, adding a new plaintiff to the lawsuit. The mother, referred to as Jane Doe in the complaint, is suing on behalf of her daughter, Megan Doe, whose gender was covertly transitioned by school officials without parental knowledge or consent. The case focuses on Mesa Public Schools (MPS), located in Mesa, Arizona.
The complaint alleges that school officials at Megan's junior high in MPS helped her socially transition her gender in school and kept it hidden from her parents. Jane Doe, Megan's mother, discovered the truth by chance when a friend's mother asked if she was "Michael's" mother. Jane then realized that her daughter had been listed as "Michael Doe" in school programs instead of "Megan Doe." Disturbed by this revelation, Jane confronted the school principal, who confirmed the name change and admitted to intentionally concealing the information from Jane. Despite Jane's requests, the school has refused to provide any records or information regarding the actions taken to encourage Megan's transition.
"Megan would have avoided many months of needless suffering and angst if MPS employees hadn't concealed her gender identity issues from me," Jane stated in the complaint. She further revealed that Megan's gender identity issues were eventually resolved through open communication and therapy, and she is now thriving in high school.
The amended complaint also includes new information obtained by Ed Steele, a local community member, through a public records request. These records demonstrate that the school counselor at Kino Junior High, an MPS school, actively hid students' gender transitions from their parents. Among the records is a spreadsheet maintained by the counselor, serving as a "parental concealment cheat sheet." It tracked which parents were aware of their child's in-school gender transition and whether school employees should use the new names and pronouns or the birth names and pronouns in the presence of unaware parents.
The lawsuit argues that MPS has a policy of concealing from parents when a child socially transitions to a different gender in school. This policy directly contradicts Arizona's Parents' Bill of Rights, which prohibits government employees from encouraging or coercing a child to withhold information from their parent. The Parents' Bill of Rights also grants parents the right to direct their children's education, upbringing, moral or religious training, and health care decisions. The complaint contends that MPS's transgender policy violates all of these provisions. Furthermore, Arizona law requires parental permission for any discussion regarding sexuality in school, including gender transition.
AFL initially filed the lawsuit on behalf of school board member Rachel Walden against MPS, and Walden remains an active plaintiff in the case. AFL aims to combat radical transgender ideology and fight for parental rights across the country.
James Rogers, Senior Counsel at America First Legal, highlighted MPS Superintendent Andi Fourlis's denial of school district employees' involvement in gender transitioning without parental knowledge. Rogers stated, "The evidence strongly suggests otherwise. No parent should have to go through what Jane and Megan Doe did." AFL is determined to expose transgender policies that MPS has attempted to conceal, advocating for parents' rights in Arizona and nationwide.
In conclusion, America First Legal has amended its lawsuit against Mesa Public Schools, accusing the school district of clandestinely transitioning a student's gender without parental knowledge or consent. The complaint highlights the school's policy of concealing gender transitions from parents, which is in violation of Arizona's Parents' Bill of Rights. AFL is committed to fighting for parental rights and exposing such policies in schools across the country.