(Tampa Free Press)—The Liberty Justice Center, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) and Dr. Erica Anderson, PhD, has filed an amici curiae brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
The brief supports the legal battle of two Leon County, Florida parents who allege their local public school district withheld crucial information regarding conversations with their child about gender identity.
The case, Littlejohn v. School Board of Leon County, centers on January and Jeffrey Littlejohn, who claim that school officials engaged in private discussions with their child about adopting a new name and pronouns without their knowledge or involvement.
The parents contend that this secrecy infringes upon their fundamental right to be involved in significant decisions concerning their child’s well-being.
This development follows a recent decision by a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit that sided with the school district. Undeterred, the Littlejohns have petitioned for a hearing en banc, meaning the entire twelve-member court would reconsider the case.
The amici brief submitted by the Liberty Justice Center, WILL, and Dr. Anderson advocates for the necessity of parental notification and inclusion when schools address sensitive issues with students. The brief urges the full court to overturn the previous ruling and affirm the indispensable role parents play in their children’s lives.
The brief emphasizes the “conscience-shocking nature” of school policies that exclude parents from pivotal decisions about their children, particularly in the context of sensitive matters like gender identity. It calls upon the Court to reaffirm the constitutional protections afforded to families.
“For too long school districts have been hiding important information about life-changing events from children’s own parents,” stated Emily Rae, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center. “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.”