Teen, 12, tries to kill herself TWICE over 'gender crisis' but school keeps it secret
TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, gender crisis
Wendell and Maria Perez, parents of a 12-year-old Florida girl who attempted suicide twice at her school after months of covert discussions about her gender identification, are blaming the district employees for allegedly creating a "second existence" for their daughter behind their backs. They claim that the employees at Paterson Elementary School, where their daughter was enrolled, violated their parental rights by failing to notify them about their daughter's purported gender identity crisis and formulated a plan to help her deal with it without their permission.
On Thursday, Wendell Perez told DailyMail.com, "We're talking about the staff from school [taking] this information and developing a plan of several sessions with my daughter, for months, talking about issues that are related and that the parents need to be involved. They basically created a double life for my daughter." He continued, "We're not talking about an isolated incident that a little kid mentioned something. They acted - they acted on it, for months. What is next? If we let them do that, what is next?"
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According to the complaint, Perez's daughter had secret weekly meetings with school counsellor Destiney Washington about her supposed "gender identity crisis," but her parents were not informed. It further says that school officials urged other students and staff to refer to the little girl as a guy, even changing her name. It's still unknown why the 12-year-old went to visit the counsellor or how the gender identity meetings were set up. The family stated their daughter was transferred to a neighbouring hospital for mental health care after police informed them about her attempted suicide. The family and their lawyers also claim that prior to the purported visits with Destiney, the 12-year-old child had showed no signs of mental illness.
On behalf of the Perez family, attorney Vernadette Broyles of the Child & Parental Rights Campaign filed a federal complaint on Monday, January 24. Superintendent Davis Broskie, Paterson Elementary School Principal John O'Brian, Assistant Principal Courtney Schumacher, and Washington are among the Clay County School District members named in the complaint.
Wendell, a devout Catholic, also claims that the school infringed on their fundamental rights by "intentionally and recklessly suppressing information" about their daughter's gender identification based on the child's "supposed confidentiality rights." He described the scenario as a "nightmare," accusing Washington of blaming his religious views for his daughter's refusal to tell her parents about her apparent identity crisis.
The school district told DailyMail.com that no legal procedure had been issued as of Thursday, January 27, adding: "The district has performed a thorough and complete investigation into this matter as it was presented to us and has determined that the allegations made by this out-of-state organization are completely false, fabricated, and appear to be intended solely for the purpose of inciting the public. All employees of the district consistently work to ensure that the best interests of all students are served. The district will have no further comment on this matter."
Vernadette retaliated, claiming, "The school is responding in a way that is typical of school districts - to deny liability because they understand they are under the court’s scrutiny. We are quite confident of the facts because they are disclosed by school officials themselves directly to these parents."
In Florida, there is now active legislation addressing concerns similar to those of the Perez family. As per House Bill 1557, also known as the "Parental Rights in Education Act," school boards have to notify parents of particular information on their child's emotional, physical, and mental well-being. It would also put a stop to discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in the school. Critics argue the bill, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill, encourages parents to sue schools or teachers who engage in discussions about these matters with their children.