An Illinois federal judge has ruled that a parent's constitutional right to direct his child's upbringing virtually ends when that child is at school. | Ekaterina Bolovtsova/Pexels
An Illinois federal judge has ruled that a parent's constitutional right to direct his child's upbringing virtually ends when that child is at school. | Ekaterina Bolovtsova/Pexels
Former Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives is blasting an Illinois federal judge's ruling that a man has no claim against the Villa Park School District, which he said conspired with his ex-wife to encourage his child to change genders.
"Gender transition insanity in DuPage County," Ives said in an April 20 Facebook post.
Florida resident Bryan Vesely filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife Susan Hardek-Vesely and Villa Park, Ill., School District 45, claiming that the school district infringed upon his constitutional rights as a parent; a recent Cook County Record report said. The complaint alleged that Hardek-Vesely and School District 45 ignored Vesely's objections and conspired to move ahead with the child's gender transition at school without Vesely's consent.
The school district and Hardek-Vesely asked the court to dismiss Vesely's lawsuit, stating that he has no right to direct the school district on how it addresses the child's gender identity while the child is at school, the Record reported. In its court filing, the school district asserted that Illinois State law—specifically, the Illinois Youth Mental Health Protection Act—supersedes the U.S. Constitution by recognizing a "zone of personal privacy." The Act states that "when parents are unsupportive of their children’s mental health and gender identity, they are not the best person to make decisions regarding the same by limiting the mental health treatment parents can impose on their gay and transgender children.”
U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins agreed with the school district and dismissed Vesely's complaint, the Record said. In rendering the verdict, Jenkins ruled that the father’s constitutional right to direct his child’s upbringing virtually ends at the public school door, especially if the other parent does not agree with his wishes.
“This case aptly illustrates the impossibility of the (school) District fulfilling its educational mission while simultaneously accommodating the concerns of every parent," the judge said in her ruling.
Jenkins was appointed by President Joe Biden and recently confirmed to the federal bench in the Northern District of Illinois, the Record said.
"No 12-year old is mature enough to make this decision and the school supporting this garbage will no doubt face massive lawsuits," Ives said in her post.
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