Lawsuit Over Sex-Trafficked Teen Could Stop Schools From Hiding Kids’ Dysphoria, The Federalist, Laura Bryant Hanford

In a September 2023 article for The Federalist, Laura Bryant Hanford exposes a chilling case that could reshape the national conversation about parental rights and school transparency. Michele Blair, supported by the Child & Parental Rights Campaign (CPRC) and the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR), has filed a federal lawsuit against school and government officials who allegedly concealed critical information about her daughter Sage—leading to her trafficking and abuse.

Blair asserts that staff at Appomattox County High School failed to notify her after Sage began identifying as transgender and was violently assaulted in the boys’ bathroom. Instead of informing her mother, school staff kept the information hidden and pushed for interventions that ultimately led to Sage’s removal from her home. While in state custody, Sage was housed in a male juvenile facility, where she suffered repeated abuse and was trafficked again.

A Preventable Tragedy

Attorney Vernadette Broyles, President and General Counsel of CPRC, emphasized the severe consequences of excluding parents from life-altering decisions:

“Sage’s story is an absolute tragedy that no child should ever have to endure. But what is even worse is that it was entirely preventable,” Broyles said. “School administrators and public officials alike decided that their authority superseded that of her parents…This is about who has the best interests of the child at heart, who knows that child better than anyone else, and ultimately who must make important personal decisions for a child.”

This heartbreaking case underscores a growing pattern across the country—where educators and government agencies presume authority over parents in matters as personal and sensitive as gender identity, mental health, and safety.

A Pivotal Case for Parental Rights Nationwide

The outcome of this lawsuit could have wide-reaching implications for families across America. At its core is a fundamental question: Do parents have the right to know and guide their children through complex identity and emotional challenges, or will that authority be stripped by government systems claiming to know better?

Sage’s story is a wake-up call—and a rallying point—for parents, educators, and lawmakers alike. As CPRC and FAIR work to hold public institutions accountable, this case may set a national precedent: that no policy or ideology should ever come between a child and the loving protection of their parent.

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Source: Hanford, Laura Bryant. “Virginia Lawsuit Could Stop Schools from Hiding Kids’ Dysphoria.” The Federalist, 25 Sept. 2023, thefederalist.com/2023/09/25/lawsuit-over-sex-trafficked-teen-could-stop-schools-from-hiding-kids-dysphoria/.

Photo: Lawrence Murray / Flickr/CC by 2.0, cropped, as published by The Federalist

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