After her daughter goes through gender confusion, an outspoken mother who is fighting Florida school districts is on a mission to help other parents maintain their rights.
Listen to the latest episodes of “Quick Start”
“This started for my family at the height of Covid in 2020,” Little John told CBN News in January. “Our daughter acquired the ideological lies of gender identity and was born in the wrong body in May 2020. So this is after three friends from a local middle school suddenly began to identify them as a form of transgender.”
Little John, who was recognized at the time when President Donald Trump attended a joint Congress meeting earlier this month, said “very little” about the “social contagion.”
She said she and her family, who knew her daughter was struggling, initially trusted the school and officials in the Leon County school system.
“Like so many parents, I trusted the school,” she said. “At the time, I had no reason to do so. In fact, I was a volunteer this year at school. I was a huge advocate for public schools and teachers. I devoted hundreds of hours to volunteering in the classroom.”
Little John said he reached out to his daughter’s teacher and revealed what was going on with her daughter. She told educators she “doesn’t affirm any kind of false sexual identity,” and that she is attracting counselors to help.
“We knew our kids were struggling. We were very concerned as parents because we loved no one more than our parents and no one knows their children,” she said. “So we treated this as a family.”
Little John was caught up in a legal challenge rooted in claiming that it happened after the first email to the teacher. She said her daughter met with the school without her knowledge and among other issues she was asked about the toilet.
“I thought what we were discussing was my child using the nickname,” Little John said. “Two weeks later, my 13-year-old daughter got into the car and said she was having a meeting at school, so I asked which toilet she wanted to use.”
She continued. “I was so worried I immediately sent an email to the school counselors, number one, they met my daughter who said I wasn’t invited to attend.
Little John said the transgender transition plan was created essentially “closed room” with social workers, school counselors and assistant principals.
“When the guidance counselor called me that day, I emailed her with the assistant principal, but they told me they couldn’t give me any information about the secret meeting that they had held with my daughter,” she said. “They said my daughter had to be someone who agreed to provide me with information, so that’s what really drove us down this path.”
Little John said it was a few weeks before she and her husband could see the support plan in question.
“They asked which toilets and locker rooms she preferred to use. “And do they put a burden on whether the parents are notified or not, or to the child, “How should we refer to you when we talk to your parents?”
Little John said these types of plans are being created nationwide, claiming that the school district in question has taken away the ability to keep her daughter safe.
“That plan created a huge wedge between us and our daughter,” she said. “And it sent her a very clear message that not only did our authority want and need it anymore, but she needed to protect us, not us.”
Vernet Broyles, a lawyer for the Children and Custody Campaign, representing Little John, confirmed the notion that these fights continue to sweep across the country.
“We talk to parents all over the country,” she said. “We have five other federal lawsuits…now.”
As for Little John, she said her issues in the district took shape in the fall of 2020, and that it wasn’t until October 2021 that she and her husband decided to file a lawsuit.
“I want to make it very clear to your audience that we worked so hard to solve this issue in our school district,” she said. “When this first happened, it was never even in our minds to file a lawsuit, but it became very clear that the district would not stop.”
Little John and Broilles came together to create a Church Transgender Response Guide, an information handbook that helps Christians and the churches navigate issues.
“This guide is all about what is being taught in schools, how it is being taught in schools, how it is being taught in schools, how to protect and protect your child from this very ideology,” Little John said. “This resource is a great resource for parents and pastors, not only to understand what’s going on to protect your child, as we have to inoculate these children when we’re changing cultures.”
Little John remains in a legal battle with the school district at the heart of the conflict over his daughter. After discussion with CBN News, the 11th Circuit issued a 2-1 decision against Little Johns.
The decision upheld an earlier ruling by US District Judge Mark Walker to dismiss Little John’s case despite the court’s division. Little John and his lawyers are reportedly reviewing the options.
“The panel concluded that Little Johns did not meet the “shocking conscience” standard that claimed that Leon County schools needed to challenge violations of parental rights,” the Children and Parents Rights Campaign said in a statement. “The CPRC strongly opposes this ruling and is actively considering options to ensure that this decision is not challenged.”
CBN News reached out to Leon County schools for comment, but did not respond when it was published.
***As the number of voices facing big technology censorship continues to grow, sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN news app developed by the parent company to keep you up to date with the latest news from a clear Christian perspective. *****
