Pence-affiliated policy org files brief in school lawsuit that inspired Florida parental rights law

A public policy non-profit founded by former Vice President Mike Pence has filed an amicus brief in support of a family appealing their case against a Florida school district’s attempt to hide their child’s gender transition from them.

In the brief, Advancing American Freedom (AAF) contends that administrators at Leon County School District encouraged the student to use a new name and new pronouns, all while keeping the information secret from parents.

“The fact that Florida schools could hide life-altering decisions from parents about their children isn’t just bad policy, it’s foolishness,” Pence said in a statement. “It is unthinkable that woke school districts think they can make better choices than parents can. This is why we must stand for parent’s rights, resist divisive woke policies, and stand strong for families in Florida and across America.”

The parents filed suit after officials at Deer Lake Middle School interviewed their child and developed a gender transition plan without notifying them in the fall of 2020. The plan also included a strategy to hide the situation from the parents during school-related communications, local media reported. 

When questioned about their judgment in not talking to the parents, the school district was quick to dismiss the concerns of the parents, said the plaintiffs, telling them they weren’t required to talk. 

The case helped propel discussion about a host of school districts nationwide that encourage schools to keep gender dysphoria secret from parents.  

It also helped inspire Florida’s new law that forbids the practice. 

“What happened to our family is one of the many reasons why this bill is necessary,” the plaintiff said at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ bill-signing press conference. 

However, in January, Federal Judge Mark Walker dismissed the case, and it’s now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.  

In future cases, the Leon County School Board declared it would not defend teachers who are accused of violating the new law which requires parental notification, said local WFSU.  

But the plaintiffs say the school district’s attitude sends a clear message that should frighten parents, that their child “needed to be protected from us, not by us.” 

DeSantis, who just announced a presidential bid, agreed. 

“When you listen to [the plaintiff] tell her story about what they did with her child, without her knowledge or consent, I don’t think there’s very many parents in the state of Florida that think that’s OK,” DeSantis said before signing the parents’ rights bill into law, according to Politico. “I can tell you I don’t think that’s OK.” 

This is the third amicus brief that AAF has filed regarding parental rights in such matters. 

“The Far-Left’s education policies have no place in deciding if parents are notified about their children’s decisions, parents always have the right to know,” said J Marc Wheat, AAF General Counsel.  

“Advancing American Freedom will continue to stand with parents in our courts for their right to be informed and to parent their children.”