A federal lawsuit has been filed against the Skaneateles Central District over how it referred to one of its students.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit legal organization, is suing the district for what it claims is a violation of one mother’s parental and religious rights.
The lawsuit alleges the district began treating Jennifer Vistaxaki’s then 12-year-old child, a biological female, as a boy and used they/them pronouns without Vistaxaki’s knowledge or consent.
The suit further claims a guidance counselor was regularly meeting with the child, referred to as Jane in the suit to protect the minor’s privacy, and other students to address the bullying they were suffering. The counselor is alleged to have told staff to refer to Jane with they/them pronouns.
According to the suit, district policy prohibited staff from disclosing information regarding the use of a student’s chosen name or pronouns unless parents already knew or the student requested their parents be told.
After the 2020-2021 school year, she withdrew her student from the district and enrolled them in a private school in Syracuse.
