27J Schools
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Published – January 13, 2025
Two parents in the 27J Schools are suing the district for helping their daughter socially transition to a boy during school hours without the parents’ knowledge or consent.
According to CPR News, “The lawsuit filed on Wednesday [August 7, 2024] on behalf of John and Jane Doe alleges that their 15-year-old high school freshman, referred to as A.D., ‘asked a school counselor to help her socially transition to a male identity…at school.’”
The source reported that A.D.’s parents were never notified that she requested the changes. The parents also didn’t know the Brighton High School counselor recommended that A.D. complete online therapy sessions using a computer her parents had no access to. The parents believe these actions directly violated their parental rights.
As of publication, 27J Schools has not released a statement regarding its knowledge of the counselor’s actions. However, the State Department of Education sent an email to CPR News, reportedly saying they needed to continue reviewing the lawsuit before making a public statement.
Thankfully, CPR reported that A.D. is “de-transitioning” to living as a female.
The district’s “Name Changes” policy states:
“The Board directs the superintendent to establish procedures allowing students to inform the school of their chosen name (or a preferred first name such as a nickname) without altering their official name in school records…
“Personnel must strive to use the chosen or preferred name of all students. The district understands that honest mistakes may occur, but the intentional or knowing refusal to use a student’s chosen name…is prohibited under this policy and under Colorado law.”
The policy also says legal documentation and/or parental approval are not needed for students to change their names during education hours or extracurricular activities. However, parents “may be notified of their student’s name change if appropriate.” The district does not provide an example of what it means by the word “appropriate.”
According to the “Student Dress Code,” staff members are not allowed to “enforce the school’s dress code more strictly against transgender and gender nonconforming students than other students.” This policy further lists such actions as “kneeling or bending over to check attire fit” and “accusing students of ‘distracting’ other students with their clothing” as examples of “shaming” students who may be inappropriately dressed in class.
The School Board Watchlist will update this profile as more information becomes available. Send feedback on 27J Schools to [email protected].
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27J Schools has 22,713 students enrolled in Pre-K through 12 across 42 schools.
