A Florida father is suing the local school district after his 12-year-old daughter attempted suicide by 'hanging herself in one of the bathrooms' at her Clay County elementary school.
The federal lawsuit, obtained by DailyMail.com, was filed in court on Monday by the Child & Parental Rights Campaign against several school district members including Superintendent Davis Broskie, Paterson Elementary School Principal John O'Brian, Assistant Principal Courtney Schumacher and school counselor Destiney Washington.
The complaint alleges that Washington held secret weekly meetings with Wendell Perez's daughter about her alleged 'gender identity crisis' but neglected to alert her parents. Perez claims a school counselor cited his Catholic faith as the reason his daughter didn't want him to know and said they were trying to protect her confidentiality, according to the lawsuit.
It also claims school leaders encouraged other students and staff to refer to the young girl as a boy and even gave her a new name.
The identity changes allegedly increased bullying on campus, which resulted in a level of 'distress escalated to the point of attempting suicide at school,' and the girl attempted to take her life on both January 4 and 5, according to the lawsuit.
Perez, who is Catholic, alleges the school violated their fundamental rights 'by intentionally and recklessly withholding information' about their daughter's gender identity based upon the child's 'alleged “confidentiality rights.”'
A Florida father is suing the Clay County school district after his daughter, 12, attempted suicide by 'hanging herself in one of the bathrooms' at Paterson Elementary School (pictured)
The father said the situation was a 'nightmare' and accused Washington of citing his religious beliefs as the reason his daughter, whose identity is withheld due to her age, did not want her parents to know about her alleged identity crisis.
'I took offense because that had nothing to do with it,' Perez told the Action News Jax. 'I mean I don't even know if she understands our faith. That demonstrated she was ignorant about it. Our faith is one of unconditional love for our children.'
Attorney Vernadette Broyles (pictured), who is representing the family, said the suit aims to ' protect the rights of parents to be able to raise their children, to direct the care of their child, in accordance with their faith and without the interference of government officials'
Attorney Vernadette Broyles, who is representing the family, said the suit aims to 'protect the rights of parents to be able to raise their children, to direct the care of their child, in accordance with their faith and without the interference of government officials'.
'It is a serious mental health decision that school personnel are not qualified, not competent, and not authorized to make,' she said. 'Parents must be involved in these important decisions.'
However, a Jacksonville counselor told the news outlet that a child's confidentiality is protected until that individuals 'presents a danger of harming themselves or others.' At that point, parents or guardians must be notified.
The school district, told DailyMail.com that, as of Thursday, it had not been served any legal process, 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.'
There is currently active legislation in the state of Florida, addressing concerns similar to that of the Perez family.
The federal lawsuit was filed in court on Monday by the Child & Parental Rights Campaign against several school district members including Superintendent Davis Broskie (top left), Paterson Elementary School Principal John O'Brian (top right), Assistant Principal Courtney Schumacher (bottom left) and school counselor Destiney Washington (bottom right)
House Bill 1557, also known as the Parental Rights in Education bill, would require school boards to notify parents about specific information regarding a child's emotional, physical and mental well-being. It would also limit classroom conversation on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Critics, calling it the Don't Say Gay bill, claim it also encourages parents to sue schools or teachers that engage in discussions about these topics with students.
'We call it the 'don't say gay' bill because it will essentially erase conversations in our classrooms about LGBTQ students, families, and history,' State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith told the TV station.
'Many LGBTQ people don't have supportive homes. They don't have supportive parents. Oftentimes their teachers and their school environment is the only form of support they have and we cannot take that away.'
Boyles is reportedly a proponent of the bill, which is currently in the House Judiciary Committee.
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