Parents in Jefferson County, Colorado, have filed a federal lawsuit against their local school district, claiming that transgender students are being allowed to room with female students during overnight school trips without parental consent. The case, known as ‘Wales v. Jefferson County Public Schools,’ was filed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative legal organization that advocates for religious liberty. The lawsuit alleges that the district’s policy permits biologically male students to share hotel rooms and beds with girls based solely on gender identity rather than biological sex, without notifying parents or seeking their consent.
According to the lawsuit, the policy violates the fundamental rights of parents to make decisions about their children’s upbringing and education, as well as their right to protect their children’s bodily privacy. The complaint claims that the school district’s decision to assign such roommates creates potentially unsafe or uncomfortable situations for students, particularly for young girls. The case also includes multiple examples, including an incident where a young girl was assigned to share a hotel room with a transgender-identifying male student during a trip to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., prompting her to call her mother in the bathroom out of concern.
Jefferson County Public Schools’ policy reportedly states that students may be assigned overnight accommodations based on gender identity, regardless of their biological sex. The lawsuit argues that this policy does not allow for any opt-out options or parental requests to have their children room only with students of the same biological sex. In addition, the case cites another example where a family of an 11-year-old boy was informed that his counselor would be male, but later learned the counselor was a biologically female adult who identifies as non-binary and had been assigned to supervise the boys in their cabin and during showers.
ADF claims that the policy violates the parents’ rights to direct their children’s upbringing and education, particularly for families who wish to raise their children according to their religious values and protect their children’s privacy. In a press release, ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson emphasized that the district’s approach undermines the fundamental rights of all parents to make informed decisions about their child’s safety and well-being. ‘Parents, not government bureaucrats, have the right and responsibility to direct the upbringing and education of their children,’ she said, adding that the district’s claim to ‘freely grant accommodations’ fails to protect the privacy of religious students.
Jefferson County Public Schools has not yet responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. The lawsuit will be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, where ADF is expected to present its arguments in the coming weeks. This case highlights the ongoing debate over transgender inclusion in educational settings and the tension between parental rights and institutional policies regarding gender identity in schools.