MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined a 22-state coalition urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case challenging a Massachusetts school district’s policy on parental rights.
The case, Foote v. Ludlow School Committee, centers on parents Stephen Foote and Marissa Silvestri, who argue that Ludlow Public Schools encouraged their children to undergo “social transitioning” by adopting new names and pronouns without parental consent. The parents claim the district concealed the process and held private discussions with their children about their gender identity.
In a brief led by Montana, the coalition asked the Court to review and overturn a ruling by the First Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld the school district’s policy. Marshall said the case highlights a threat to parental authority in education.
“Parents do not surrender their constitutional rights when they send their children to public school,” Marshall said. “Nor should government bureaucrats be allowed to hide life-altering decisions from mothers and fathers.”
The brief argues that the appeals court was wrong to suggest that parents’ rights diminish when their children attend public schools. The attorneys general contend that parental rights have long been recognized as a fundamental part of American law and cannot be replaced by school policies.
Marshall said the issue is especially concerning given Alabama’s recent findings about the medical industry and advocacy groups promoting medical transitions for minors.
Attorneys general from West Virginia, Florida, Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Guam also joined the brief.
