A California mom who says her 11-year-old daughter’s school encouraged her to transfer also “ignored” her request to reveal her gender identity to the family — as the school district votes to maintain a “parental secrecy” policy.
The Chico Unified School District has voted to keep a policy in place that allows them not to inform parents if a child identifies with another gender at school, with transgender activist Squeaky Saint Francis insisting the policy can save lives.
The board evaluated a measure that would allow “more parental inclusion” but ultimately voted to keep the current “Parental Confidentiality Policy” in place by a vote of 3-2.
Aurora Regino, who is suing the district, voiced her frustration and called for more transparency claiming her daughter, who now identifies as female again, was under pressure when making the decision.
Aurora Regino, who says her 11-year-old daughter’s school encouraged her to transfer also ‘ignored’ her request to reveal her gender identity to the family – as the school district votes to maintain a ‘parental secrecy’ policy
I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My daughter was upset and starting to question her sexuality, so I decided to reach out to a wellness counselor at her elementary school.
The day my daughter shared her mentorship guide, she felt like a boy. The chancellor immediately confirmed this new identity.
My daughter told the counselor that she wanted to tell me about her new identity. The counselor ignored her request and did nothing to support her and let me know what was going on at the school.
Oliva Phillips, an educator who supports the Student Privacy Policy claimed: “As educators and service providers, we as educators need to cultivate an environment where students feel confident, safe, and accepted, to be themselves unapologetically without the repercussions of backlash.”
Meanwhile, trans activist Squeaky St. Francis, who is polyamorous, said school can often be the only place for kids to discover their gender identity.
I will speak loudly to those who cannot speak, I am proud that, she, they, they, whatever I am friends with a beautiful woman, I am friends with a handsome Transman, and I am also friends with an incredibly beautiful woman,” they said.
Growing up in this city, my mother always told me to love myself for who I am not.
We can’t all be so lucky to have a pro like this. In fact, I knew friends at school who would bring a full change of clothes with them so they could dress the way they felt on the inside and be free from the oppression they would. Feel at home or sideways glances.
They went on to explain that they were one of the lucky ones and learned to “trust” the process but not everyone has access to that at home.
Meanwhile, trans activist Squeaky St. Francis (pictured) said school can often be the only place for children to discover their gender identity.
They said, “One of the first things we learn in a healthy family is trust, and unfortunately some parents don’t trust their children when they say this is me and they make this decision for them.”
This may make the child afraid of the people they claim to be trying to protect them, and these children may see hatred and prejudice in the home for people just like them and feel that the only place they can be is at school.
“Every child needs to be in control of when they go out on their own.”
They went on to support the policy, explaining that it could mean the difference between life and death.
If you remove this ability to control themselves, you are forcibly placing them in a potentially violent home where their parents can kick them out, force them into conversion camps, or give up their parental rights and put them in order, God forbid. They may consider suicide.
“Changing this policy would create a very slippery slope.”
The policy the board members voted to support, according to Regino, extends to pre-kindergarten children who are about five years old and reach the twelfth grade.
“It is absolutely devastating that they are endorsing such a crazy policy for such young children,” she said. Fox Newsarguing that such a turbulent time in the lives of children and teens is when they need parental guidance the most.
She is suing the school district for allegedly spending weeks encouraging her fifth-grade daughter to transition to male — including changing her name and pronouns — after she said she “felt like a boy.”
Regino said she was “appalled” because the guidance counselor at Sierra View Elementary School in Chico had not informed her of the advice they were giving her child.
She claims that the ‘parental secrecy policy’ of California General Assembly Code 1226 — the 2013 law that expanded protections for transgender individuals in schools — means she was not told about the discussions.
Regino (pictured) said she was “distraught” at not being informed about gender discussions
Regino said her daughter — who is referred to only as AS in the lawsuit — was seeing guidance counselor Mandy Robertson in early 2022 due to the death of her grandfather.
Once the girl confessed to the counselor that she “felt like a boy.” According to her mother, Robertson confirmed her feelings “on that very day” and “within minutes”.
The daughter was allegedly “unsure” whether she wanted a name or male pronouns but felt pressured by Robertson to adopt her.
Regino said her daughter even wanted to tell her what was going on, but the school told her to “go out” to other people first, which meant the mother wasn’t informed.
The lawsuit says she didn’t “fully understand what was going on” but began to be known as male at school while still being addressed as female at home – which ultimately led to her wanting to change schools.
The counselor began encouraging discussions about “sexuality and gender identity” among his classmates over the following weeks, including how to deal with feeling like a different gender, according to the lawsuit.
Regino said Fox News: “For a few months, she opened up to a guidance counselor and guidance counselor on the same day she opened up and said she felt like a male, took her to class and confirmed it that day.”
But the lawsuit says the Fourteenth Amendment means Regino should be able to direct her child’s upbringing and participate in decision-making about her education — something the school accuses her of denying her.
“By AS’s social transformation without informing Ms. Regino or obtaining her consent, the county violated Ms. Regino’s basic right to direct the upbringing of her child,” it says.
The girl told her grandmother, who told Aurora – and immediately called the headmaster.
Her daughter was given a male name and pronouns at Sierra View Elementary School in Chico (file photo)
In April 2022, District Director of Elementary Education Ted Sullivan told Regino that California law requires schools to socially relocate students without telling their parents, unless authorized by the student.
District Deputy Superintendents Guy Marchant and Kelly Staley also said a parental confidentiality policy is required by law.
Regino was keen to stress that she supports her child and whatever identity she chooses – but objected to the fact that she hadn’t been informed by the school first.
She said she wanted her daughter to be “happy and healthy in whatever identity” she chooses, but added that she would have required her to see a mental health professional because of her young age and the rapid release of these feelings.
Ace now identifies as female again, and her mother said the confusion was only caused by other stressors in her life at the time, for which she now attends special therapy.
“I want this to stop, our children need protection,” Regino told Fox News.
Her two daughters still attend schools in the area – although AS now attends Marsh Junior High.
The district is a public school district in Chico and operates 23 schools – twelve elementary, four middle schools, three high schools, and four other schools.
Regino said she filed the lawsuit against the county on January 6.
