Two Colorado families are suing Poudre School District, alleging that their daughters were encouraged to join a secret LGBTQ club at Wellington Middle-High School, leading to emotional distress and suicidal thoughts, Fox News is reporting.
The Lee and Jurich families have filed a lawsuit with the help of America First Policy Institute and Illumine Legal, claiming that the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) held undisclosed meetings on topics such as polyamory, transgenderism, and gender identity.
The club leaders allegedly urged students to keep the discussions secret from their parents.
The lawsuit also states that substitute teacher Kimberly Chambers, the executive director of Supporting Pride Learning and Social Happenings (SPLASH), was invited to speak at a GSA meeting.
Chambers allegedly told students, “if they are not completely comfortable in their bodies, that means that they are transgender.”
She also discussed suicide rates among transgender youth, a subject unfamiliar to the Lee’s daughter.
Chambers advised students that it “might not be safe to tell their parents what happened at the GSA meeting or to talk about transgender issues” and encouraged them to contact her instead.
This led to both girls experiencing emotional decline, confusion about gender and sexuality, and suicidal thoughts, according to the lawsuit.
The Jurich’s daughter was allegedly told by Jenna Riep, a school art teacher and GSA staff sponsor, that “if they did not like their bodies, they were most likely not the gender they were ‘assigned’ at birth.”
Riep also “encouraged secrecy, confidentiality, and suspicion about whether her parents could be trusted with these discussions.”
As a result of attending GSA meetings, the girls’ relationships with their friends and family deteriorated, with one of the daughters attempting suicide by ingesting bleach, Fox notes.
Both families are seeking legal action against the school district and those involved with the GSA club.