California mother Aurora Regino is suing her child’s school district for allegedly transitioning her 11-year-old's gender in secret, claiming her rights as a parent were violated.
Fox News’ Claudia Cowan gave an update on the case on "America’s Newsroom" Friday after Regino discovered her daughter, a fifth-grade student in the Chico Unified School District, was living a double life as a male named "Jaden" and was receiving school counseling on socially transitioning. She is now again identifying as a female.
"They were talking to my daughter about different support groups in town to help her with her transition and then discussed breast binding with my daughter that I had no knowledge of," Regino told Cowan.
IDAHO SCHOOLS INSTRUCTED TO KEEP PARENTS IN DARK ABOUT STUDENT'S GENDER, NAME TRANSITIONS
Regino claims the district’s alleged "Parental Secrecy Policy" allows students to transition without their parents’ knowledge, and she’s looking to put an end to it.
"I just want them to stop – stop keeping parents in the dark," Regino said.
The school district declined to comment on Cowan's report, but issued a statement in January assuring the community "Chico Unified does not have a ‘Parent Secrecy Policy,’ nor [does it] ever try to define a student's personal identity."
Regino told "Jesse Watters Primetime" in January that she’s appalled by the school district’s actions. She went on to explain she never gave permission for the school counselor to see her daughter one-on-one.
"For a few months she had opened up to a guidance counselor and the guidance counselor the very day that she opened up and said she felt like a male, she walked her to class and affirmed it that day," she said. "My daughter did mention to the school counselor that she wanted to tell me, and the school counselor dismissed her request and was trying to get her to come out to other people first."
Kate Anderson, director of the Center for Parental Rights with Alliance Defending Freedom, argued schools are violating the Constitution by promoting gender transition and keeping the information from parents.
"Parents have the right to direct the upbringing and education of their kids," Anderson told Cowan.
Board members addressed the lawsuit at a recent meeting, saying they are researching the issue and consulting with state agencies.
Regino, however, maintained the lawsuit is needed to protect parents’ rights.
"The goal is to make sure that this doesn't happen to any more families and kids," Regino said.
Regino’s daughter now sees a different school counselor who believes the child was manipulated, Cowan reported. The district is expected to file a response to the federal lawsuit soon.
