A years-long suit ended on Wednesday when a judge in federal court ruled against a group of Ohio parents who were fighting the LGBTQ+-affirming policies of their local school district.
The eight plaintiffs were each parents with children in the Hilliard School District, the defendant in the case.
Central to the original complaint was the parent’s accusation that the school district in Hilliard – a suburb of Columbus – refused to clarify its policy on outing: the practice of automatically sharing information with parents regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, name-changes and pronouns being used, should the students share this information with school staff.
The plaintiffs were seeking the courts to affirm the parents’ “rights to be informed of any symptoms of gender dysphoria or other mental health condition.”
The lawsuit also sought to ban district teachers from wearing badges with the words, “I’m Here” and a Pride flag on the front. The back of the badge – not facing outwards – contained a list of LGBTQ+ resources for the teachers.
The plaintiffs argued the badges amounted to “encouragement to teachers to solicit sexual conversations with children.”
The school district said badges were resources.
“Any teacher who chose to wear one of the badges clearly understood that the resources at the link were intended for adults, not students,” said David Stewart, superintendent of Hilliard City Schools, in a statement in 2022. “The resources are provided for teachers’ personal growth and professional development.”
Brainwashing claims dismissed
In April 2024, a judge dismissed most of the parents’ complaints except for three relating to an unnamed student who was formerly enrolled in Hilliard Bradley High School.
Her parents argued that the school “brainwashed” their child to believe she was transgender and kept their child’s request of different pronouns a secret from them. The parents equated school staff’s support to “treating her for gender dysphoria and engaging in compelled gender-affirming care without telling” the parents.
The student had told teachers that she hadn’t shared any information with her parents due to religious reasons.
“It may be kinda hard because they’re all Christian, so I know they won’t be supportive,” the student emailed a teacher.
After removing their daughter from the school, the parents argued “that the school is part of the problem that caused their daughter’s emotional trauma,” including a suicide attempt.
Judge Michael H. Watson – a President George W. Bush appointee to United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio – dismissed the parents’ claims on the grounds that the two-year statute of limitations had expired and that the case ultimately was a matter for state courts, not the federal court where it was heard. 🔥
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