(Legal Newsline)—On April 30, 2025, the Liberty Justice Center, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), and Dr. Erica Anderson filed an amici brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The brief supports two Florida parents, January and Jeffrey Littlejohn, who allege that their local public school in Leon County engaged in secrecy regarding important conversations with their child about gender identity. According to the Littlejohns, school officials conducted private discussions with their child regarding the use of a new name and pronouns without informing them, which they argue infringes upon their rights to participate in major decisions affecting their child’s well-being.
Previously, a three-judge panel sided with the school district, but the Littlejohns have now requested for the full twelve-member court to hear the case en banc. The amici brief submitted by the Liberty Justice Center, WILL, and Dr. Anderson advocates for parental inclusion when schools discuss sensitive topics with children. The brief calls for the full court to reconsider its decision and underscores the importance of parental involvement in children’s lives.
The amici brief criticizes the practice of excluding parents from important decisions, emphasizing the significance of constitutional protections for families in sensitive matters such as gender identity. Emily Rae, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, remarked, “For too long school districts have been hiding important information about life-changing events from children’s own parents. We stand with parents across the country who simply want courts to uphold their constitutionally protected right to parent—to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children.”