August 22, 2025
Lee v. Poudre School District R-1
Overview
AFPI’s Center for Litigation has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review Lee v. Poudre School District R-1, a case that could significantly reshape the legal boundaries around parental rights in public schools.The case involves two Colorado families whose sixth-grade daughters attended a public middle school in Fort Collins. According to court filings, the girls were exposed to gender ideology behind closed doors, including a school-sponsored “Genders and Sexualities Alliance” meeting where:
- A teacher allegedly distributed transgender flags
- Students were encouraged to “come out”
- Children were instructed not to tell their parents
One child came home visibly distressed. Both were eventually withdrawn from the school entirely.
The Legal Question
The families argue that the school district’s policies—explicitly discouraging teachers from notifying parents about issues related to gender identity—violated their fundamental constitutional right to direct the upbringing of their children.When the parents sued, lower courts dismissed the case; AFPI is now asking the Supreme Court to intervene and bring clarity to a growing constitutional gray zone.
Why It Matters
“This is every parent’s worst fear—that a school would introduce complex identity issues to a child behind closed doors and then tell them to hide it from their mom and dad,” said Leigh Ann O'Neill, Senior Legal Strategy Attorney at AFPI.
“The Constitution protects a parent’s right to know. It does not allow school bureaucrats to keep secrets.”The petition notes that the lower court’s ruling conflicts with prior decisions and leaves schools with dangerous discretion to push ideology without transparency or accountability.“This isn’t a policy dispute,” O'Neill added. “This is about whether schools can override parents—and whether courts are willing to stop them when they do.”
Broader Context
This case goes to the Court for consideration amid growing national concern over parental rights in education, with several states advancing legislation to require parental notification when public schools address topics like gender identity and sexuality.AFPI stands firmly with these families—and with all parents—in seeking clarity, accountability, and constitutional protection at the highest level.