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When a transgender-identifying man flashed his prosthetic breasts on the White House lawn during the Biden administration&#8217;s penultimate Pride Month celebration, many thought we had seen the high water mark of the radical gender ideology that had captured the Democrat Party.
But internal documents unearthed by The Daily Wire reveal the shocking truth. In its waning days, the Biden administration was working behind the scenes to rip children from the homes of loving parents who refused to affirm a child&#8217;s transgender identity. Today, as a different president marks the first of June without any rainbow regalia, we&#8217;re proud to bring you the first in a four-part series exposing the Biden administration&#8217;s radical anti-family plot.
We begin with the story of Nicole, a loving mother whose refusal to indulge her daughter&#8217;s gender delusions put her at odds with her local school district, and later, the entire state of Oregon. The system that empowered the state to rip Nicole&#8217;s daughter from her home is precisely the kind of system the Biden administration was developing — and likely would have implemented had Vice President Kamala Harris defeated President Donald Trump.
***
Nicole was shocked when the police turned up at her front door to take her 15-year-old daughter away.
In July 2024, the Oregon Department of Human Services took the teen — called Jane Doe in filings to protect her identity — into protective custody as they investigated whether Nicole was causing Jane a “mental injury,&#8221; a form of child abuse under Oregon <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/definitions-child-abuse-and-neglect-oregon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state law.</a>
The issue at hand? Nicole would not &#8220;affirm&#8221; Jane&#8217;s &#8220;gender identity.&#8221;
&#8220;I asked, &#8216;What if I don&#8217;t let her go&#8217;?&#8221; Nicole told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Then you can be arrested,&#8221; a police officer told her.
Nicole says Jane had identified as transgender for several years — but she and her husband are Christians, who acknowledge the biological reality that you can&#8217;t change your sex. After performing its investigation, Oregon DHS sent Nicole a notice in September 2024 saying it had found the claim that she caused her daughter a &#8220;mental injury&#8221; for not affirming her transgender identity was “founded.”
&#8220;We believe you, Nicole REDACTED, are responsible for the Mental Injury of Jane Doe,&#8221; the document from Oregon DHS reads. &#8220;Your actions and statements towards Jane Doe have caused significant mental injury. The severe harm perpetrated showed a serious disregard for Jane Doe&#8217;s social and emotional well-being. Your adverse reactions to Jane Doe expressing their gender identity have caused serious harm to Jane Doe&#8217;s psychological functioning.&#8221;
Oregon defines “<a href="https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_413-015-0115" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emotional abuse</a>” as “any mental injury to a child that shall include only observable and substantial impairment of the child&#8217;s mental or psychological ability to function caused by cruelty to the child.&#8221;
Nicole asked Oregon DHS to review and reconsider her case. Upon review, Oregon DHS again said Nicole&#8217;s refusal to &#8220;support&#8221; Jane&#8217;s gender identity had caused her a “mental injury.”
“The decision was based on the following: You refuse to support JANE DOE’s gender identity and instead provided hours-long lectures that have led to JANE DOE experiencing panic attacks and suicidal ideation. Your actions and behaviors have caused a severe negative impact on JANE DOE’s wellbeing,” states a document reviewed by The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire reached out to Oregon DHS, asking if it could confirm whether the state of Oregon views not affirming a child&#8217;s gender identity as emotional abuse that causes mental injury to a child. Oregon DHS did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Nicole told The Daily Wire that Jane now lives with her gender-affirming father.
&#8220;Because I tell them she&#8217;s a girl and I won&#8217;t say that she&#8217;s a boy whatsoever, they won&#8217;t let me have a relationship with my daughter,&#8221; Nicole told The Daily Wire. &#8220;They took all of my parenting rights away.&#8221;
&#8220;Nicole&#8217;s story is not unusual,&#8221; parents&#8217; rights advocate Erin Friday says. &#8220;Gender confused kids are being groomed by adults to use the child welfare apparatus to escape from the only parent who truly has the child’s best interest in mind. The system that was designed to safeguard kids has morphed into a lethal weapon against loving parents.&#8221;
Nicole is now going to court to clear the names of her and her husband, who was also named as having “founded” charges of emotional abuse. Her case is set to go before a judge in September 2026.
“I gave birth to a beautiful, loving little girl, and that she will always and forever, no matter what she does to her body, will be a girl,” Nicole told The Daily Wire.
“Now my husband and I are in a battle with the State to clear our names because we didn&#8217;t lie to our daughter and tell her that she is a boy. This has cost us thousands [of dollars] and more heartache that I can&#8217;t begin to place into words, and with no end in sight.”
<h3>Oregon’s Radical Child Welfare Policies</h3>
Oregon is known for its radical embrace of gender ideology. It adopted a groundbreaking <a href="https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_413-200-0308" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> in 2018 requiring child foster care parents and adoptive families to &#8220;respect, accept, and support&#8221; a child&#8217;s gender identity. &#8220;Gender identity&#8221; is a term used by transgender activists to describe a person’s feelings about their sex. Activists view not “affirming” a child’s gender identity as a form of abuse and neglect.
This rule shares similarities with a now rescinded Biden-era federal <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/30/2024-08982/designated-placement-requirements-under-titles-iv-e-and-iv-b-for-lgbtqi-children#footnote-35-p34845" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regulation</a> that required all foster care families to provide transgender affirming environments for LGBTQ+ youth.
Jessica Bates, a Christian Oregon mom, sued Oregon DHS in 2023 after she was barred from applying to adopt children because of “her objections to affirming a child’s transgender identity,” legal <a href="https://cases.justia.com/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/23-4169/23-4169-2025-07-24.pdf?ts=1753374764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents</a> show. Bates, who was represented by legal counsel from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), initially lost her case but won on appeal and received a preliminary injunction in July 2025 allowing her to move forward with foster and adoption processes.
&#8220;This was really the first appellate circuit court decision ever to address this issue, and we think it reads very strongly in favor of free speech and religious liberty,&#8221; Jon Scruggs, ADF VP of Litigation Strategy, told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Just because someone refuses to affirm gender ideology, you can&#8217;t deny their ability to foster and adopt. And if that&#8217;s true, I think it certainly flows into biological parents as well, that if anything, biological parents have even stronger rights and adoption applicants.&#8221;
The Oregon DHS Resource and Adoptive Family Training (<a href="https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/de98450.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RAFT</a>) for foster and adoptive families has a <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/providers-partners/foster-care/pages/training-certification.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">session</a> devoted to training caregivers to create “affirming homes.”
“You will learn about what it means to affirm (respecting, accepting, and supporting) children’s identities and practice affirmation in the resource home,” the training states.
The training makes clear that parents and caregivers must actively<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WHaID0aD0A&amp;list=PLsrX1nc_gB0qMKoMmmLYYczBJs7gBV3PB&amp;index=10" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> affirm</a> a child’s gender identity by using “correct pronouns” and ensuring a child has clothes that match their chosen sex.
In the final opinion in Bates&#8217;s case, the judge noted that Oregon trained foster and adoptive parents to not only be tolerant of a child’s gender identity, but also to proactively be affirming.
“The state’s own denial of Bates’s application shows that the state does not interpret its policy and the RAFT guidelines to be merely advisory. The state thus cited Bates’s refusal to ‘encourage’ children ‘in this behavior’ as grounds for denying her certification as an adoptive parent,” states the opinion.
<h3>Non-Affirmation Is Abuse</h3>
Oregon’s child welfare policies aren’t limited to the foster care and adoption system. They also affect children residing at home with their parents.
&#8220;The logic of the state&#8217;s argument in the foster context is parents are endangering children&#8217;s lives by refusing to affirm gender ideology,&#8221; Scruggs told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;That logic crosses right over to biological parents and so that&#8217;s one reason we&#8217;re litigating this issue across the country.&#8221;
ADF is providing legal counsel to foster and adoptive parents across the country who are being discriminated against for not affirming gender ideology.
In October 2023, Oregon DHS received a &#8220;call of concern&#8221; about Jane&#8217;s safety while under Nicole’s care. An Oregon DHS report written by a caseworker, reviewed by The Daily Wire, noted Jane was &#8220;currently wanting to transition from female to male&#8221; and that Nicole was “not supportive of this.&#8221; The caseworker pointed out that Nicole and her husband believe &#8220;men are men and women are women.&#8221;
Jane had continued to identify as a boy, and in May 2024, out of concern for her well-being, Nicole asked Jane to watch videos showing the harms of gender ideology.
Nicole told The Daily Wire that she and Jane spent around two hours watching the videos, ate dinner, and went to bed. The evening seemed uneventful.
The next morning, Jane headed off to her public school. But when Nicole went to pick up Jane at the end of the day, she was nowhere to be found. Nicole spent almost two hours frantically trying to locate her and called 911 to report her daughter as missing. She was directed to a police officer, who said Jane went home with a friend because she felt threatened by the gender ideology videos Nicole had shown her the night before.
The police officer brought Jane to Nicole, with the order that she take her daughter to an emergency crisis center. At the center, counselors offered Nicole pamphlets about resources for LGBTQ+ community members, which she refused.
The Oregon Department of Education, in January 2023, released a 48-page <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/civilrights/Documents/ODE-Supporting-Gender-Expansive-Students.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> titled “Supporting Gender Expansive Students: Guidance for Schools,” which provides practical ways for schools to be gender affirming. The department provides a template to help school staff create gender identity support plans and recommends that school staff keep secrets about students&#8217; &#8220;gender identity.&#8221;
So, while Nicole and her husband tried to reason with Jane at home, the teenager&#8217;s school had been providing her with information about LGBTQ+ identities. Her teachers were calling her by a different name, and her peers pressured her into transitioning to another sex.
Nicole told The Daily Wire that “schools, outside counselors, children&#8217;s friends, phones, echo chambers within social media, and affirming family members” all influenced Jane’s embrace of a transgender identity.
Nicole believed that in June 2024, Jane was starting to see some of the harms of transgenderism. But this change of heart was short-lived, which Nicole believes was due, in part, to the influence of a Christian counselor Jane was seeing for help addressing her underlying struggles.
The counselor advertised herself as having a “Christian worldview,” and Nicole specifically asked the counselor not to discuss LGBTQ+ issues with Jane.
The Daily Wire reviewed a document that suggests the Christian counselor supported Jane’s transgender identity and told Oregon DHS their “main concern is the parents have really particular beliefs about LGBTQ,” and told a caseworker “mom had the perception that since she is listed as a Christian counselor, that she would be against the LGBTQ,” according to an Oregon DHS report.
When Jane used her tablet to access an online “gender support group,” the Christian counselor was “really proud of Jane for reaching out to somebody when she felt she needed help,” according to the report.
Nicole told The Daily Wire the counselor&#8217;s office was &#8220;where a lot of issues occurred.&#8221;
After Jane was taken into state custody in July 2024, the Department of Human Services sent letters to Nicole’s family members, alerting them that Jane needed a place to live. Gender-affirming child welfare systems seek to find “<a href="https://sogiecenter.org/programs/caff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chosen affirming families</a>” for transgender identifying children whose parents refuse to transition them to another sex. Nicole told The Daily Wire that this action was devastating, isolating, and harmed her familial relationships.
&#8220;CPS sent letters to my entire family saying, &#8216;Are you willing to take Nicole&#8217;s daughter,&#8217; because, basically — she&#8217;s unfit,&#8221; Nicole told The Daily Wire.
It’s been almost two years since CPS showed up at her door in July 2024. That was the last time Nicole saw her daughter.
“We lost her to the State when she was fifteen, along with all of my parenting rights,&#8221; Nicole told The Daily Wire. &#8220;We just want to bring awareness out there to parents everywhere that this is happening.&#8221;
</div>

Untitled design – 2026-05-31T203930.237

She Wouldn’t Call Her Daughter ‘Trans.’ The State Took Custody.

gender ideology

Parental Rights in Education

Transgender

The Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Moms For Liberty a hate group just days before its national conference, causing protests to descend on the event and inundate attendees with threats of violence.
Over 600 parents, conservative leaders, and five presidential candidates — including Donald Trump — gathered for four days at the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott Hotel for the <a href="https://portal.momsforliberty.org/summit23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moms for Liberty</a> National Summit 2023. Just three weeks before, the SPLC added the grassroots parents&#8217; group to its list of extremist groups. Tina Descovich, co-founder and CEO of Moms For Liberty, told The Daily Wire that the pushback was almost immediate — and frightening.
“Their label sent thousands of protesters to our event, protestors smashed in windows of the venue the night before, and spray-painted over historical displays,&#8221; Descovich said. &#8220;They surrounded the venue for days. Philly PD had to call in the riot force and extra equipment. The following months and weeks were filled with continued threats and harassment.&#8221;
“Adding us right before our 2023 National Summit, where we hosted five presidential candidates, was not an accident; it was calculated and coordinated,” Descovich added.
The SPLC has come under renewed scrutiny after the Justice Department last week released a sweeping indictment of the controversial leftist group. The SPLC is alleged to have funneled millions to hate groups like the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hints-at-major-2020-move-if-splc-found-guilty-of-fraud?row=0&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ku Klux Klan</a> from 2014 to 2023. The group claims it was paying informants, but critics say the SPLC was simply propping up its own targets — most notoriously by allegedly helping fund the infamous 2017 &#8220;Unite The Right&#8221; rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
&#8220;Once the SPLC labeled us, it gave people in my community and even extended family justification for really vile behavior towards me. I tried to protect my kids from the hate I received, but it wasn’t long before even they knew I was a target for people’s hate,&#8221; Kit Hart, Moms For Liberty membership engagement coordinator, told The Daily Wire. &#8220;It’s something no innocent mom should be subjected to.&#8221;
&#8220;A group of us had dinner reservations offsite and the moment we exited the building, we were berated and screamed at,&#8221; Hart recalls. &#8220;The protestors had been waiting all day for members of our organization to leave the doors of the hotel to shove signs in our faces, curse at us and show every sign of aggression you can think of. As we were walking to our Uber, we needed to be escorted by security.&#8221;
An LGBTQ+ group called The Agenda PAC obtained the hotel room numbers of Moms For Liberty members, and while they slept, left door hangers on their hotel rooms that said &#8220;Please Disturb: Fascism In Progress. Did you know a designated hate group is staying at this hotel?&#8221;
Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, who is currently a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/new-political-group-forms-campaign-anti-lgbtq-candidates-rcna45710" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chaired</a> The Agenda PAC.
A heavy police presence was stationed outside the hotel for the duration of the conference to keep attendees safe. Protesters, carrying pride flags and signs with hateful messages such as &#8220;Ban The Fascists,&#8221; &#8220;F*ck Nazi&#8217;s,&#8221; and &#8220;<a href="https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-moms-for-liberty-summit-protest-photos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Klanned Kookie Karens</a>,&#8221; camped outside the hotel for the duration of the conference and harassed women as they entered or exited. One group of moms was <a href="https://x.com/scarlett4kids/status/2048178067299017024?s=46&amp;t=ZAoIkqhiKpZyQayFV_2XbQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swarmed</a> by a group of protesters when they tried to leave the hotel in an Uber. Several protesters were <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-moms-for-liberty-summit-people-arrested-during-protests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested.</a>
Despite the tensions and security concerns, the planned programming was uninterrupted, and President Trump commented on the SPLC label during his speech.
&#8220;The radical Left is even slandering Moms for Liberty as a so-called hate group,&#8221; President Trump stated during<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_D7iYcQACU" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> his speech</a>. &#8220;Can you imagine Moms for Liberty, a hate group? I&#8217;m telling you, these people are sick.&#8221;
The conference gained attention from national media outlets, which<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/us/politics/moms-for-liberty-republicans.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> consistently</a> associated Moms For Liberty with the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/06/30/moms-for-liberty-convention-philadelphia-protests/70363926007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SPLC</a> hate group label. A group of Democratic Pennsylvania state senators used the SPLC label to fuel their <a href="https://epgn.com/2023/05/11/philadelphia-marriott-facing-criticism-for-hosting-right-wing-summit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ongoing campaign</a> to get the 2023 summit canceled. The politicians sent a <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSaval/status/1672011058834206721/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the Museum of the American Revolution, where a welcome event for the summit was held, asking that it cut ties with Moms For Liberty.
“Moms for Liberty, put plainly, is a hate group. This is not hyperbole — on June 6, 2023, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) designated Moms for Liberty a hate group, and specifically, as an ‘anti-government extremist group,'&#8221; the letter reads. “The Museum’s leadership has demonstrated a lack of judgment in agreeing to host a hate group. Fortunately, the mistake can be fixed with a simple and elegant solution: cancel the Moms for Liberty event scheduled for June 29.”
This reporter was present at the June 2023 summit and can easily recall the throngs of protesters and increased security. To avoid harassment from the mob of protesters outside of the hotel, attendees exited the Marriott hotel from a discreet side entrance and were covertly bused to the museum, where we were greeted by a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XuDs2bbVJE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raucous crowd</a> screaming from behind a metal barricade, &#8220;Get the f*ck out of here&#8221; and &#8220;Philly is a trans city.&#8221; Police officers acted as a human shield and formed a path that allowed us a safe entrance to the museum.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The door hangers on each hotel room door in Philadelphia tonight where the Moms for Liberty hate convention is taking place are incredible. <a href="https://t.co/KKREKXCLas">pic.twitter.com/KKREKXCLas</a>
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamParkhomenko/status/1674642405985861633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The impact of the SPLC’s extremist label extended far past the summer of 2023 and continues to weigh on parents today. The SPLC has an interactive &#8220;<a href="https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map/?hm_year=2024">hate map</a>,&#8221; and Moms for Liberty chapters make up the single <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/splcs-favorite-conservative-targets-get-the-last-laugh">largest</a> bloc of any organization on it, putting a target on the back of each local group.
“Every day since the SPLC added Moms for Liberty to its hate map, our organization has had a dangerous target on our back. Members have been doxed, cancelled, and threatened,” Descovich told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The fabricated lies told by the SPLC have caused extensive harm to our organization and our members.&#8221;
For the past three years, Moms For Liberty Wisconsin leader Scarlett Johnson has also been harassed, defamed, and feared for her own safety after being labeled a far-right extremist by the SPLC.
“I lived this. I was harassed, doxxed, and even sued. And almost every article, every interview, every news segment about me included the same line — that I’m part of Moms for Liberty, a group the SPLC labeled as extremist,” Johnson told The Daily Wire. “That label followed me everywhere. It changed how people looked at me, spoke to me, and treated me.&#8221;
&#8220;It was the slow, grinding loss of normalcy that no one ever gives back,&#8221; she added.
Johnson said the SPLC label didn’t just draw the ire of leftists, but made some local Republicans hesitant to be affiliated with her and the group. Rachel Carroll Rivas, deputy director for research, reporting, and analysis at the SPLC, admitted that was the group&#8217;s goal in a June 2023 interview with <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/06/07/1180486760/splc-moms-for-liberty-extremist-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a>.
“Carroll Rivas said she hopes that adding Moms for Liberty and similar groups to its extremist list will help inform communities, reporters and politicians who are just learning about them,&#8221; NPR reported. &#8220;And, perhaps, that it might tarnish association with those organizations.&#8221;
Johnson told The Daily Wire she is thankful SPLC is being investigated, but the reputational damage they’ve caused can&#8217;t be undone.
“Not everyone understands what the SPLC is or how those labels get used — but politicians and media repeated it without question,” Johnson told The Daily Wire. “And when you repeat something like that over and over, it doesn’t just shape a narrative. It hardens into something people act on.”
The SPLC did not respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s request for comment.

Republican Presidential Candidates Speak At The Moms For Liberty Summit

The SPLC Burn Book That Damaged The Lives Of Everyday Parents

Philadelphia

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an important ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta, a case addressing whether schools can implement policies that deliberately exclude parents from critical decisions about their children’s well-being. The Court answered that question with a clear and resounding no.
In its order, the Court reinstated a prior injunction, barring California schools from enforcing policies that conceal students’ gender transitions from parents or require teachers to use names or pronouns inconsistent with biological sex. Under these rules, this information was withheld from parents unless the child consented. Naturally, many parents and teachers challenged these policies, arguing that they violated constitutional rights.
The Court agreed that the parents raising religious objections are likely to win their claims under the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause. The justices also found that the policies are likely to interfere with parents’ long-recognized constitutional right to direct the upbringing and care of their children under the Fourteenth Amendment.
In reaching that conclusion, the Court relied on decades of precedent that affirm the role of parents in guiding their children’s development, including Wisconsin v. Yoder and Troxel v. Granville. The message is straightforward: when it comes to consequential decisions affecting a child’s identity, mental health, and moral development, the government cannot simply push parents aside.
This ruling arrives amid a broader national debate over how schools respond to students experiencing gender dysphoria. In many districts, policies have emerged that treat transgender identity as a matter between the student and the school, <a href="https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/protecting-children-from-social-transition-act">rather than between the child and their family</a>. Supporters argue that such policies protect vulnerable students. But the Court’s decision highlights a critical problem: removing parents from the conversation can undermine the very support systems children need most.
Parents are typically the first line of care when a child is struggling emotionally or psychologically. The Court recognized this reality, noting that <a href="https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/gender-dysphoria-and-the-social-transition-intervention">gender dysphoria</a> is a condition with significant <a href="https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/gender-dysphoria-and-the-social-transition-intervention">mental health implications</a>. When schools conceal information about a child’s confusion with their biological sex from parents, they risk shutting out those most responsible for providing guidance, counseling, and medical care.
The Court’s reasoning also exposes an uncomfortable truth that has been too often ignored in public policy debates: decisions about “gender” identity during adolescence can have profound and lasting consequences.
That reality becomes particularly important as more individuals speak openly about the experience of detransition — discontinuing gender transition procedures after coming to regret them. While research on detransition remains limited, emerging evidence suggests that some young people who went through so-called “gender affirming care” did so because of social pressure. Others say the real reason for their psychological distress was not addressed, and the transition process only further complicated their existing pain.
This is why parental involvement matters. Adolescence is a time of rapid emotional and cognitive development. Decisions made during that process should not occur in isolation from parents who are legally and morally responsible for their children’s welfare.
This week, advocates and researchers will observe Detransition Awareness Day on March 12. The day highlights the experiences of individuals who have reversed or questioned their earlier identification as transgender and seeks to promote better research and support for those navigating a similar path.
Their stories underscore an important point: the debate surrounding our biological sex is not simply theoretical. It involves real people whose lives are shaped by the policies adopted by schools, medical institutions, and governments.
Acknowledging detransition means recognizing the complexity of adolescent identity and the need for careful, responsible approaches that prioritize long-term well-being.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Mirabelli does not resolve every problem that surrounds the gender topic, but the ruling establishes a vital principle: parents cannot be treated as obstacles in their children’s lives. In fact, they are the opposite – parents are the people primarily responsible for guiding their children through the most difficult and formative stages of adolescence. To exclude them from decisions that carry permanent, harmful, and lasting consequences is contrary to the very concept of what it means to raise a child.
As the nation reflects on detransition and the broader questions surrounding the gender issue, policymakers would do well to remember what the Court reaffirmed this week — families matter, and parents deserve a seat at the table.
* * *
Dr. Jennifer Bauwens is America First Policy Institute’s Director of American Values.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Mother hold hand schoolboy walking to bus. Energetic pupils running crossway.

The Parent Trap: The Detransition Reality Schools Tried To Hide From Moms And Dads

California

Children

detransitioner

Opinion

Parenting

Parents rights

Public Schools

Supreme Court

School choice advocate Erika Donalds said that students will be better off when parents have better access to what their kids are learning and when schools are held accountable for veering away from what should be taught.
Donalds, the wife of Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL), sat down with The Daily Wire&#8217;s Tim Rice and Mary Margaret Olohan for an interview at Turning Point USA&#8217;s 2025 AmFest, the first one held without the group&#8217;s late founder, Charlie Kirk.
Donalds began by saying that she was excited to see so many people of all ages attending breakout sessions at the conference that were devoted to reforming education — and how fixing what was wrong with education in the United States played into saving the republic as well.
&#8220;President Trump is doing exactly what he promised the American people,&#8221; Donalds said of President Donald Trump&#8217;s plan to first dismantle the Department of Education as a federal entity and then return power to the schools and the states. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to return that power not just to the states, but expand school choice and give power to the parents to make decisions on behalf of their children.&#8221;
Donalds praised Education Secretary Linda McMahon, saying that she had been instrumental in delivering on Trump&#8217;s promises.
The conversation turned to charter schools — several of which Donalds has had a hand in founding — and she said that they can serve as valuable school choice options, especially in areas where private schools are too expensive or otherwise inaccessible. She said that even with advances in school choice, she saw a major role for charter schools to partner with Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and to offer more &#8220;modular style&#8221; classes.
In her home state, Donalds noted, charter schools were already adapting to the changing educational landscape by offering &#8220;individual courses and extracurricular activities that families can access using their ESA dollars.&#8221;
Responding to a question from Olohan, who noted she was homeschooled for a time herself, Donalds said that the number of families homeschooling in the United States was higher than it had ever been — and that even more families indicated that they&#8217;d like to homeschool if they could. Donald made it clear that one of her goals was to help families remove as many of the barriers preventing potential homeschoolers from moving forward as possible.
Rice then raised the issue of artificial intelligence — and how the knee-jerk reaction is often to keep AI out of schools because students will obviously use it to cheat — but Donalds argued that she believed there was certainly room for AI in education.
There should certainly be guard rails in place, Donalds argued, but AI could be used to find gaps in education and help children to succeed who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
&#8220;We need guardrails and we need parents to have visibility into what&#8217;s going on in the AI used in their classrooms,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Once those guardrails are in place, I believe AI can absolutely help with the abysmal academic results in this country.&#8221;
She went on to explain that AI could help a child struggling with reading by identifying the particular concept that was causing the hang-up and tailoring a curriculum to the child&#8217;s needs. The same could be done with other subjects, she said, giving the example of a child having difficulty with algebra and saying that AI could identify where they were going wrong — even if it was a skill they should have picked up in elementary school.
The remainder of the interview focused on ideological and cultural issues seeping into the education system and how expanding parental rights and access to resources and curriculum were the best guard against that.
&#8220;We want to make sure that when students are graduating 12th grade that they are civically literate,&#8221; Donalds said, arguing that if America&#8217;s young people did not understand how the founders had built the country or why the government had been set up the way that it had, they would be unable to defend it in the future.

Erika Donalds

Erika Donalds Talks Trump, School Choice, And Why AI Is Good For Classrooms

Byron Donalds

Charter Schools

Daily Wire

Education

Media

Politics

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced six interagency agreements (IAAs) with four federal agencies to take another major step forward toward fulfilling the promise of dismantling the 45-year failure of the astronomically expensive and ineffective department.
The agreements are with the Department of Labor, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of State. According to a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-six-new-agency-partnerships-break-federal-bureaucracy">press release</a> from the Department of Education, “by partnering with agencies that are best positioned to deliver results for students and taxpayers, these IAAs will streamline federal education activities on legally required programs, reduce administrative burdens, and refocus programs and activities to better serve students and grantees.”
The six agreements are as follows. First is the Elementary and Secondary Education Partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. Going forward, the Department of Labor will begin playing a larger role in the administration of federal K-12 education programs to enhance <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-labor-dol-elementary-and-secondary-education-partnership-112465.pdf">alignment</a> with workforce and postsecondary programs, resulting in “a cohesive, unified strategy for talent development.”
Second is the Postsecondary Education Partnership, which is also between the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. It will streamline the administration of postsecondary education programs and <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-labor-dol-postsecondary-education-partnership-112464.pdf">will</a> “create a better coordinated Federal approach to postsecondary education and workforce development to help more Americans achieve career success.”
Third is the Indian Education Partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior. This includes the Department of the Interior administering Indian education spanning from elementary, secondary, and higher education, as well as career and technical education and vocational rehabilitation. This will ensure Native American students are better served with education, training, and workforce programs.
Fourth is the Foreign Medical Accreditation Partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. It leverages the expertise of the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate whether the accreditation standards for foreign medical schools are comparable to those of U.S. medical schools. According to a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-health-and-human-services-hhs-foreign-medical-accreditation-partnership-112462.pdf">fact sheet</a> in conjunction with the press release, the “accreditation standards must be comparable between U.S. and foreign medical schools in order for American students enrolled in medical schools outside of the U.S. to be eligible for federal student loans.”
Fifth is a second agreement between the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, termed the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Partnership. The partnership <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-health-and-human-services-hhs-child-care-access-means-parents-school-partnership-112460.pdf">will</a> “promote innovation and process improvements in pursuit of better outcomes for parents and children” by streamlining policies and program requirements, and also <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-health-and-human-services-hhs-child-care-access-means-parents-school-partnership-112460.pdf">providing</a> “campus-based child care services to low-income students.”
Sixth is the International Education and Foreign Language Studies Partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of State. It enhances the efficiency of the Fulbright-Hays grant programs, which equip Americans with skills critical to our national security and interests.
Speaking of these partnerships, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said, “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission.” The mission is nothing other than — with the votes necessary from Congress — to eliminate the ineffective U.S. Department of Education, which has wasted trillions of dollars without improving student learning.
Continuing, Secretary McMahon explained what lies ahead: “As we partner with these agencies to improve federal programs, we will continue to gather best practices in each state through our 50-state tour, empower local leaders in K-12 education, restore excellence to higher education, and work with Congress to codify these reforms. Together, we will refocus education on students, families, and schools — ensuring federal taxpayer spending is supporting a world-class education system.”
Since January, the Trump Administration has been focused on cutting wasteful spending within the U.S. Department of Education and removing harmful ideologies. For example, just three days after taking office, under the President’s direction, the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-takes-action-eliminate-dei">U.S. Department of Education</a> took action to “eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.” This <a href="https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/cultural-issues/article_89d2f95a-da74-11ef-881f-c31173f69a5c.html?seyid=48320">included</a> placing U.S. Department of Education staff leading DEI initiatives on administrative leave, removing more than 200 web pages containing DEI resources that promote or endorse harmful ideological programs, and cutting over $2.5 million of DEI contracts.
<div id="attachment_1002607" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1002607" class="size-large wp-image-1002607" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285-864x576.jpg" alt="US President Donald Trump holds an executive order after signing it alongside US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon (R) in the East Room of the White house in Washington, DC, March 20, 2025. US President Donald Trump will sign an order March 20, 2025 to start dismantling the Department of Education, fulfilling an election campaign pledge and a long-held dream of American conservatives. By law, the Education Department -- created in 1979 -- cannot be shuttered without the approval of Congress, and Republicans do not have the votes to push that through. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2205418285.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images.</div>
In March, President Trump signed the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/improving-education-outcomes-by-empowering-parents-states-and-communities/">Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities</a>” executive order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-empowers-parents-states-and-communities-to-improve-education-outcomes/">directing</a> Secretary McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
President Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjnoGgEJvLs">explained</a> and communicated confidence, stating, “We are going to be returning education very simply back to the states where it belongs. And this is a very popular thing to do, but much more importantly, it is a common-sense thing to do, and it is going to work. Absolutely, it is going to work.” Signing the executive order was a foundational first step toward eliminating the department.
Despite the opposition&#8217;s rhetoric, dismantling the Department of Education is about partnering with other federal agencies to improve efficiency, break down bureaucracy, and return education to the states where it rightfully belongs. This will give moms and dads a bigger voice while providing for greater accountability for academic results.
The recent 43-day government shutdown highlighted the lack of need for the federal education department. Just two days before the major IAAs partnership announcement, Secretary McMahon <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2025/11/16/school-funding-trump-dismantle-education-department/87251723007/">wrote</a> in USA Today on November 16, “The Schumer shutdown underlined just how little the Department of Education will be missed. As such, the Trump administration will work to end federal micromanagement of our schools and empower state and local leaders to create high-quality education programs that lead to a rewarding career. We know that the stakes could not be higher.”
These strategic actions under Secretary McMahon’s leadership mark a decisive departure from decades of federal bureaucratic bloat and chart the much-needed path forward toward making good on President Trump’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-empowers-parents-states-and-communities-to-improve-education-outcomes/">executive order</a> commitment to return “power over education to families instead of bureaucracies.”
* * *
Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Correction: The title of this article has been updated.
* * *
<h3>Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.</h3>

Trump Takes Steps Toward Dismantling Education Department

Trump Admin Delivers On Promise To Dismantle U.S. Department Of Education

Department of Interior

Department of Labor

Donald Trump

Federal Government

Linda McMahon

State Department

Students

Teachers

Trump Administration

A couple who won a landmark Supreme Court victory in favor of parental rights said their Christian faith helped them through the dramatic ordeal that began when their daughter took a book pushing transgender ideology home from her Maryland school.
In April, Chris and Melissa Persak, a Catholic family, found themselves and other allied parents arriving at the Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in their case against the Montgomery County Board of Education over whether they had the right to opt their kids out of instruction on transgender ideology. In June, the Persaks, who were represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, won a decisive 6-3 victory with the Supreme Court majority declaring that they and other parents had expansive oversight over what their children were taught at schools.
“We said prayers of the Holy Spirit, and just felt this unbelievable calmness as we&#8217;re walking in. Even with the protesters, even with members of the leadership of Montgomery County, who were protesting against us live that day,” Chris told The Daily Wire.
“We just felt like this was the right thing that God was saying, ‘Yep, this is exactly what I asked you to do. It&#8217;s been 24 months, and I know you guys have taken shrapnel and things that have come at you and people threaten your children, and you and your friends, and it was vindication day,” he added.
On Tuesday, the Persaks <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfCn1zWnXGQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> on Becket’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfCn1zWnXGQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stream of Conscience</a>” podcast alongside Jeff and Svitlana Roman, another family who challenged Montgomery County’s opt-out policies.
The legal battle began in March 2023, when the school board said that it would no longer let parents opt out of books pushing transgender and queer ideology. In response, a group of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish parents challenged the county in Mahmoud v. Taylor.
Svitlana said during her appearance on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfCn1zWnXGQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast</a>, which was previewed by The Daily Wire, that she became involved in the legal fight because she just wanted parents like her to have the option to opt their elementary-aged kids from sexualized materials in the classroom.
“All I would like to ask is, one, to make it very clear that the teachers have an optionality to teach it or not, and then two, give the choice to parents to opt in,” she said.
Melissa Persak echoed that sentiment.
“This whole lawsuit was we just wanted the rights to our own children and what they&#8217;re gonna learn,” she said. “It has nothing to do with anybody else&#8217;s kids, but, you know, obviously, in the process, now, we want to protect everyone, all the parents, and all of their children.”
<div id="attachment_1002015" style="width: 1952px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1002015" class="size-full wp-image-1002015" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-17-at-3.44.53-PM.png" alt="" width="1942" height="1089" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-17-at-3.44.53-PM.png 1942w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-17-at-3.44.53-PM-300x168.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-17-at-3.44.53-PM-1024x574.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-17-at-3.44.53-PM-768x431.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-17-at-3.44.53-PM-1536x861.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1942px) 100vw, 1942px" />The Romans and Persaks appear on the Becket podcast.</div>
Chris, her husband, added that the entire saga revealed how citizens could fight for their rights under the Constitution. He described being at the Supreme Court as a “powerful moment” because “citizens can stand up for what we believe protected under the Constitution by a system that was essentially set up nearly 250 years ago.”
“We just want the best for our kids and our families and have access to the freedoms granted under the Constitution,” he added. “And the ability to see that happen in real time at the political level has been awesome, it&#8217;s been awe-inspiring.”
When the decision was announced, Chris said the “jubilation was unbelievable.”
Becket Lawyer Will Haun told The Daily Wire that the decision in Mahmoud came 100 years after the Supreme Court issued a decision protecting the rights of parents to send their kids to religious schools.
“It took a long time for the Supreme Court to confirm that parents don&#8217;t lose that freedom when they send their children to public schools,” he said. “But thanks to the heroic example of Chris and Melissa and all the parents who stood with us, that is confirmed in the law now as well.”
In light of the decision, Montgomery County has rolled out a system known as &#8220;refrigerator curriculum,” giving parents broad access to essentially every material used in the classroom. The breadth of material has prompted some parents to worry they might miss something, but Haun said it was a sign that things were changing.
“Business as usual in Montgomery County when it came to opt outs was not acceptable anymore,” he said. “And I think that became abundantly clear with the Supreme Court&#8217;s decisive victory for the parents.”

Mahmoud v. Taylor

Caught In A SCOTUS Clash Over Trans Ideology, Parents Turned To Faith And The Constitution

Maryland

Religious Liberty

Schools

In light of the recent loss of Charlie Kirk, we have to seriously reconsider the level of radical indoctrination in our <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/public-schools">public schools</a> — and not just at the collegiate level. The hostility that fueled such an attack doesn’t appear out of thin air. It begins in classrooms where children are taught to despise their country, question their God-given identity, and see their parents as obstacles rather than protectors. By the time students reach college, the soil has already been prepared by years of quiet but intentional indoctrination. The loss of Charlie should also serve as a rallying cry — a reminder of the price conservatives are paying in this cultural battle and the urgency to confront it head-on.
This is why the fight against gender ideology in our K–12 schools cannot wait. It is not a side issue or a distraction from “real politics.” It is the heart of the cultural crisis America faces. If children are trained from kindergarten to see themselves through the lens of gender theory rather than truth, faith, and family, then we should not be surprised when that worldview matures into radicalism, activism, and, eventually, violence.
For decades, conservatives assumed the worst indoctrination happened on college campuses. That was a mistake. Elementary schools are where the work begins — through school counselors, taxpayer-funded SEL programs, and activist-approved library shelves. Children are introduced to gender confusion long before they ever take an SAT or apply to a university. By the time they arrive on campus, the indoctrination is already deeply rooted.
Florida recognized this and acted decisively. In 2022, the state passed the Parental Rights in Education Act (<a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h1557er.docx&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=1557&amp;Session=2022">HB 1557</a>), banning classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. In 2023, lawmakers expanded the law to apply through eighth grade and specifically addressed the use of pronouns. The Florida Board of Education later broadened protections further to cover all K–12 grades. Additional bills like <a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h1069er.docx&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=1069&amp;Session=2023">HB 1069</a> reaffirmed that sex is biologically determined at birth, while <a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_s0254er.DOCX&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=254&amp;Session=2023">SB 254</a> placed restrictions on gender-related medical interventions for minors.
What made this possible was the partnership of strong leadership at the top — Gov. Ron DeSantis and a conservative state school board — combined with parents pushing relentlessly from the bottom up. Importantly, the state school board did not wait for the legislature to act again; they used their authority to pass stronger policies when they saw the need. This kind of backbone is missing in school boards across the country, but it is the critical piece in reclaiming our public school systems. That partnership is the model every red state must follow if we want to preserve the innocence of children and the authority of parents.
Florida shows that the combination of political courage and grassroots activism can shift the culture of public schools. Parents had been voicing concerns for years about radical curricula, library materials, and counselors undermining parental authority. Instead of dismissing those voices, the leadership of Florida embraced them, amplifying the parents rather than silencing them. That is the blueprint. This bottom-up and top-down unity is what makes Florida distinct — and it is why conservative parents in other states look to Florida as proof that this fight can be won.
On the other end of the spectrum is California, where the guardrails are gone. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the SAFETY Act (<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1955">AB 1955</a>), which allows schools to conceal a child’s new gender identity or pronouns from parents. San Diego schools have run classroom programs with books like <a href="https://www.iwfeatures.com/profile/controversy-erupts-in-california-school-district-over-radical-gender-ideology-in-classrooms/">My Shadow Is Pink</a>, asking fifth graders to guide kindergartners through gender-identity exercises without parental notification. And when teachers object on religious grounds — such as the Oakland kindergarten teacher fired for refusing to use pronouns that violated her conscience — the state sides with ideology, not faith or family.
California also recently lost more than $12 million in federal funding for refusing to strip “radical gender ideology” from its sex-education curriculum. Instead of correcting course, the state doubled down. This is the America our children will inherit if red states fail to act.
The danger in California isn’t limited to its own borders. Policies that begin there often spread nationwide through activist groups, teacher unions, and national curriculum providers. A book that appears in a Los Angeles classroom one year often shows up in a red-state district the next. Without strong protections, even conservative communities will find themselves importing California’s chaos. That is why the example of California should serve as both a warning and a motivator: if red states do not proactively legislate, they will be pulled in the same direction by cultural and institutional pressures.
President Trump recently issued an <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/24/2025-01567/removing-radical-gender-ideology-from-federally-funded-education-programs">executive order</a> directing the removal of radical gender ideology from federally funded education programs. That is an important step — but executive orders are temporary. What one president does, the next can undo. And without strong state-level laws, even Trump’s order cannot stop what continues to happen in liberal states like California, where ideology is embedded in classrooms regardless of federal guidance.
That’s why red states must codify protections into permanent law. And they must add accountability measures with real teeth:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Immediate removal from the classroom if teachers or counselors push gender ideology in violation of the law.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Revocation of teaching licenses so offenders cannot simply move districts or cross state lines to continue indoctrinating children.</li>
</ul>
Parents deserve more than symbolism — they deserve action. Conservative lawmakers must remember that parents are not asking for suggestions or guidelines — they are demanding laws that protect their rights and their children. Laws without accountability are empty. A policy without enforcement is a wish list. If red states want to be serious, they need to back up their words with actions that make the cost of violating parental rights unacceptably high.
Conservative states now have both the opportunity and the obligation to act. Parents are fleeing states like California in search of places where their children can be raised in safety, truth, and faith. Red states must be those safe havens. That means more than political slogans — it means codifying into law the protections families need to preserve faith-based values and the authority of parents.
If conservatives fail here, the exodus from blue states will only accelerate, but families will arrive to find that their “safe haven” is just another battleground. Conservative parents are looking for states where school boards act decisively, legislatures put children first, and governors refuse to bend to woke corporations or activist lobbies. They want leaders who will not only defend but advance the values of family, faith, and freedom.
Red states across the country now have the opportunity and the backing of parents — and if legislators refuse, they should be replaced with leaders who will. The loss of Charlie has only deepened conservatives’ resolve, reminding us of the urgency and the cultural impact of his fight.
The line is clear: pass laws protecting children from gender ideology with real accountability, and pass them first — or prepare to face a reckoning at the ballot box. Our children are not bargaining chips. They are the future of America, and they deserve to be defended. Until states pass binding protections, even Trump’s executive order cannot shield families from the spread of radical ideology in liberal states — making state action urgent and non-negotiable.
* * *
Emily Jones is a mother, community organizer, and candidate for the Alabama State Board of Education. Known as “The Controversial Mom,” she advocates for parental rights, faith-based values, and stronger accountability in public schools.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-25-Sep-2025-09-06-AM-6432

Why Red States Must Crush Gender Ideology In The Classroom

Activists

Elementary Schools

Gender

High School

Leftists

Few things are more important than the education of our young people. 
That’s why, when the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released the <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/">Nation’s Report Card</a> earlier this week, I became concerned. Average scores among 8th and 12th grade students were lower across all three primary assessments — science, math, and reading. For example, only 22% of 12th graders were proficient at their level of mathematics and 35% were proficient at their level of reading.
Scores like these should remind all of us just how important a high-quality education is for every student. While these scores are discouraging, I believe when parents and students are given a choice in education and the right leadership is in place, we will see test scores like these go up, not down. 
Most students spend more awake time in school than at home during the week and thousands of families are counting on their state officials to deliver for their children. That’s why I’m running for governor of South Carolina, to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality education – whether that’s their local traditional public school, a high-performing public charter school, or a high-quality private school. I am confident that there are thousands of outstanding teachers across South Carolina, but there are also gaps in excellence in far too many places.
I’ve spent my career in business and understand that competition makes everyone better. When traditional public schools are competing against private and public charter schools, it drives innovation, efficiency, and a desire for excellence. This free-market principle is what creates great organizations that serve people well, and it’s the same principle that will improve education for South Carolina students.
Status quo politicians and special interests have tried to pit education freedom against great public schools. I fundamentally reject this flawed argument. I attended public school and many of my grandchildren currently attend public school – and I strongly support education freedom. South Carolina parents deserve the opportunity to choose what’s best for their child.
Fortunately, South Carolina has made significant strides in improving student-centered education over the past few years, but we have room to grow. As governor, my mission will be to improve public education, increase education freedom, and ensure high school graduates are ready for a job or college.
We know what moves the needle in public education – great teachers in classrooms and great principals leading schools. The research is overwhelming: the quality of teachers and principals are two of the top in-school factors for student success. I firmly believe that leaders should make data-informed decisions, and that’s why, based on this research, we should be rewarding our top-performing teachers and principals across the state.
I want South Carolina to become the top destination in the country for the best and brightest teachers and principals. We should create a merit pay structure statewide that offers bonuses to educators who are top performers – and we should offer an extra incentive to educators who are willing to bring their high-quality instruction to low performing schools. Infusing the principles of the free market into public education will improve outcomes for students.
Concurrent with statewide merit pay, South Carolina must expand education freedom for all families in the state. Education freedom is about ensuring parents are empowered to exercise their God-given right to choose what’s best for their children. As governor, I will work every day to expand education freedom until every family has the opportunity to choose the best education for their child.
Finally, as governor, I am committed to dramatically expanding career and technical education in South Carolina. For too long, schools and businesses have been ships passing in the night. Schools enroll students in career and technical education without actually talking to businesses about what skills are needed in the workforce. I’ve spent most of my life in the private sector and I know what it takes to bring business leaders into the conversation and ensure our students are being prepared with the skills needed for family-sustaining jobs. When schools and businesses are working together for student success, the entire state wins.
Few things are more important than education. As governor, I will focus every day on leading with students at the center of the conversation. Education funding is a core function of government and it should be treated as a treasure to invest in our next generation’s education.
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Ralph Norman was born and raised in South Carolina. After a successful career as a small business owner in real estate development, he entered into public service, first as a South Carolina State Representative, then as a U.S. Congressman in 2017. He’s now running to be the next Governor of South Carolina. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Open Book On Wooden Desk With Blurred Empty Classroom Background.

When Test Scores Drop, It’s Time For Real Education Reform

School Choice

South Carolina

Parents, educators and community leaders recently attended a Fairfax County School Board meeting in Virginia to ask questions about an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/virginia-school-system-investigating-claims-staff-arranged-students-abortions-without-parental-consent">alleged coerced abortion case</a> involving two Hispanic minors at Centreville High School.
Centreville High School has a <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/districts/fairfax-county-public-schools/centreville-high-school-20462__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!z-3bjZRUUFzVpcjUUXeCnOmT5iO0fbyCiy8sK0gxSSxuJkQ3-e2SK8nKwzsT-qgLY1fjiIEr7WbqqhMTXRP5j4yv$">minority enrollment</a> of 69%, and 32% of its students are economically disadvantaged. For pregnancy matters, the school’s policy states that students are encouraged to discuss their concerns with their parents.
The whistleblower at the school, Zenaida Perez, is an English as a Second Language (ESL) Teacher and is originally from Cuba. She immigrated to the United States in 1990 and holds a master’s degree in ESL.
Perez claims that, beginning in 2022, she discovered a social worker was arranging and paying for minor girls to obtain abortions without parental knowledge or consent, which is required in the state of Virginia.
She reportedly brought her concerns to school administrators seven times. But instead of district officials addressing these allegations, Perez says she experienced bullying from administrators and attempts from the school to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/governor-orders-criminal-probe-into-alleged-abortions-at-centreville-high-school/article_a1c3bc41-9b17-4ac1-8187-70eaa7de4ca3.html__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!z-3bjZRUUFzVpcjUUXeCnOmT5iO0fbyCiy8sK0gxSSxuJkQ3-e2SK8nKwzsT-qgLY1fjiIEr7WbqqhMTXUI6JXVn$">undermine her integrity</a> by falsely accusing her of handing out pregnancy tests to students.
The allegations are deeply troubling given both of the girls involved were underage. Perez says that one student, who was five months pregnant and wanting to keep her baby, said she felt like she “had no choice.” The other girl told Perez she was terrified because her legal guardians did not know about her abortion.
Worried parents in attendance at the school board meeting questioned whether these were isolated incidents or part of a broader pattern of overriding parental rights and disregarding state law.
Most Americans <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/16/democrats-gop-parental-notification-abortion-laws-00097245__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!z-3bjZRUUFzVpcjUUXeCnOmT5iO0fbyCiy8sK0gxSSxuJkQ3-e2SK8nKwzsT-qgLY1fjiIEr7WbqqhMTXYCxdjTu$">support</a> parental consent for abortion as they recognize that life-and-death decisions should not be made without parental guidance. In Troxel v. Granville, the United States Supreme Court affirmed the fundamental rights of “parents in the care, custody, and control of their children,” and 36 states require parental involvement in abortion-related decisions for minors.
Despite the guarantee of parental rights, Virginia is attempting to strip them from the abortion equation by passing <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HJ1">House Joint Resolution 1</a>, a constitutional amendment that enshrines intentionally broad &#8220;reproductive freedom&#8221; as a right in the state constitution.
The Centreville High School case also underscores over a half-century of abuse by so-called &#8220;reproductive health care&#8221; advocates targeting minority communities for abortion.
Sadly, abortion peddlers know impoverished minority girls are abortion-vulnerable due to the broader inequalities they face, like racial prejudice, economic disparities, and access to authentic health care. They are also unlikely to resist coercion, especially when it comes from authority figures like school officials.
Their struggles are not just statistics to me, because I lived them. I grew up in the middle of the same kind of hardship after my mother’s <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aul.org/author/sarah-zagorskiaul-org/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!z-3bjZRUUFzVpcjUUXeCnOmT5iO0fbyCiy8sK0gxSSxuJkQ3-e2SK8nKwzsT-qgLY1fjiIEr7WbqqhMTXYscX0kk$">attempted abortion</a> with me. She had come to the U.S. from Honduras, already struggling to raise seven children she couldn’t provide for, trapped in an abusive home. She too believed she had no other choice.
She did defy coercion from her abortion physician in the end, but this kind of resistance is rare. Victims are often threatened, manipulated, and face real barriers like lack of money, absence of support, or fear for their safety.
I am thankful that the Governor Glenn Youngkin has directed the state police to open a criminal investigation into the case. Parental rights should not be usurped, and school employees have no right to hide secret abortions from parents.
Children need protection and parental guidance, especially when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, not forced secrecy by adults attempting to usurp fundamental rights of parents to make decisions regarding the wellbeing of their children.
Girls from marginalized communities, including Hispanic girls from Centreville High School, deserve better than betrayal from people they should trust and cover-ups by school bureaucrats.
* * *
<a href="https://aul.org/author/sarah-zagorskiaul-org/">Sarah Zagorski</a> is the Senior Director of Public Relations and Communication at Americans United for Life.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

High School Students Walking in a Hallway

Whistleblower Uncovers Secret Abortion Scandal At Virginia High School. Parents Deserve Better.

Abortion

Glenn Youngkin

Hispanics

Pro-Life Movement

Teenagers

Virginia

As parents across the country push back against schools undermining their children’s faith, President Donald Trump will speak at the Museum of the Bible on Monday during a hearing on religious liberty in education, The Daily Wire has learned.
Trump will give remarks during the second meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-to-establish-religious-liberty-commission">established</a> earlier this year to protect the rights of Americans to practice their faith. At the hearing, parents and students will discuss their experience of expressing their faith in the public schools. 
The Trump administration has placed a large emphasis on protecting religious liberties, from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-trump-guidance-allows-federal-employees-to-debate-religion-with-co-workers">issuing new guidance</a> that allows federal workers to be more open about their beliefs, to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-should-not-have-been-prosecuted-trump-pardons-23-pro-lifers-targeted-by-biden-doj">pardoning</a> pro-life Christians targeted by the Biden administration over peaceful demonstrations at abortion facilities. 
“The previous administration abused the federal government’s power to interfere with Americans’ First Amendment right to religious freedom,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told The Daily Wire. “They even used the Department of Justice to target peaceful people of faith, specifically Christians. This is exactly why President Trump established the Religious Liberty Commission to stop the emerging threats against Americans’ inalienable right to practice their religion freely.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Religious Liberty Commission Chair Dan Patrick will also speak at the hearing. 
The first panel to be heard at the event will be a group of elementary school students “who will share stories of challenges to their religious liberty,” according to the White House. Other panels will feature parents whose rights to raise their kids religiously were “challenged or abridged in the school system,” and students who faced challenges to their faith in higher education.
The goal of the hearing will be to “understand the historic landscape of religious liberty in the public education setting, identify present threats to religious liberty in America’s public school systems, and identify opportunities to secure religious liberty in this context for the future,” the White House told The Daily Wire. 
In May, Trump signed an executive order creating the commission with the task of producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty and the top threats to it in the United States today. 
“President Trump is the greatest defender for people of faith in modern history and will continue to protect and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom,” Rogers told The Daily Wire. 
Other notable commission members to be in attendance include Ben Carson, Senior Adviser to the White House Faith Office, Paula White, Pastor Franklin Graham, Catholic Bishop Robert Barron, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, and Eric Metaxas. 
The first meeting of the commission took place in June, during which attendees <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-religious-liberty-commission-meets-to-discuss-faith-policies">contrasted</a> the Trump administration’s approach to religious liberty with that of former President Joe Biden.
On Tuesday, Trump said that he would be making a “big announcement” in about two weeks related to the administration’s goals to protect religious liberty. The administration is also looking to protect churches following an attack on a Catholic school last week in Minneapolis by a transgender-identifying shooter who had a documented hatred of Christians. 
In recent years, the Supreme Court has handed advocates of religious liberty a number of major victories in education, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-supreme-court-affirms-religious-liberty-rules-in-favor-of-public-high-school-football-coach-punished-for-praying-after-games">siding</a> with a high school football coach who was disciplined for leading voluntary prayers after games. More recently, the court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-parents-says-schools-cant-mandate-lgbt-curricula">sided</a> with a group of Maryland parents who argued that schools violated their religious beliefs by forcing them to participate in sexually-themed education.

Donald Trump Addresses The Faith And Freedom Road To The Majority Conference

EXCLUSIVE: Trump To Address Threats To Faith At Public Schools

White House

As a mother, advocate, and candidate for the Alabama State School Board, I’ve seen firsthand how the quiet march of artificial intelligence (AI) into our public school classrooms is happening with little public awareness and even less parental consent. While the tech industry touts AI as the future of education, the reality is far more complicated — and in many ways, far more dangerous.
This is not a debate about whether technology belongs in schools. It’s a call to pause, evaluate, and protect children before we hand over their data, emotions, and daily experiences to unregulated machines.
Across the country, AI tools are already embedded in software used in classrooms — often installed by default on school-issued devices without informing parents. These tools don’t just support learning; they track facial expressions, predict emotional states, and collect vast amounts of personal information. When I raised concerns in my local district, even administrators admitted they didn’t know the apps even existed on the machines.
It gets worse. Some AI systems store data on third-party servers, outside the reach of school district oversight. Parents rarely have access to this data, don’t know who can see it, and can’t opt out. In many cases, children are being profiled and emotionally analyzed without ever giving meaningful consent.
And this is happening to minors. Children who legally cannot open a bank account or create a social media profile without parental consent are being subjected to predictive algorithms inside the classroom.
Advocates of classroom AI say it improves safety by detecting potential threats. In tech-heavy communities like Huntsville, Alabama, some districts have adopted facial recognition and behavioral analytics to monitor students. But these programs raise urgent questions: What happens when a system flags a student incorrectly? What emotional harm comes from constant surveillance? And what precedent does this set for future generations?
We are raising children in what author Jonathan Haidt calls The Anxious Generation — a generation already plagued by rising anxiety, isolation, and digital dependence. Normalizing AI surveillance in their learning environments only exacerbates these problems. It teaches kids to perform for machines rather than relate to people. It chips away at trust between students and teachers, families and schools.
The good news? People are starting to take action.
First Lady Melania Trump has championed child protections in the digital age. She recently celebrated the signing of the Take It Down Act, legislation backed by the Trump administration to remove explicit AI-generated content involving minors from the internet. This is a critical step in the right direction.
But classroom AI poses a broader risk. We need transparency, oversight, and parental rights built into the law. I’m advocating for a model policy that any state can adopt:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A ban on emotion-detecting and behavior-predicting AI systems in schools</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Mandatory parental opt-in before AI tools can be used on students</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Transparency requirements for all EdTech vendors</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Annual AI ethics and data privacy training for school staff</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A statewide or state-level task force to assess AI impact, report findings, and recommend guardrails</li>
</ul>
Local school boards don’t need to wait for Washington or their state capitol. They can start now:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Audit every digital tool currently in use</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Inform parents</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Pause new AI adoption until clear guardrails are in place</li>
</ul>
We must ask ourselves: Are we solving real problems with AI in classrooms, or creating new ones we don’t yet understand?
This isn’t anti-technology. It’s pro-accountability. Pro-parent. Pro-child.
Whether you live in Alabama, California, or anywhere in between, your school district likely has AI embedded in ways you never imagined. It’s time to demand transparency, ask hard questions, and ensure that no child becomes a test subject for Big Tech.
Let’s make this a national conversation. Let’s protect the classroom.
* * *
Emily Jones, a North Alabama native and founder of the state’s first Moms for Liberty chapter, is running for the Alabama State School Board to restore excellence to a system in decline. Like many parents, COVID-era schooling opened her eyes to just how far our public education system has fallen—from slipping academic standards to a breakdown in trust between families and schools. With Alabama ranking 45th in the nation, we must ask: what are we doing to stop the slide? Emily is committed to rebuilding the vital partnership between parents and teachers and restoring classrooms as places where educators are empowered to teach and students are expected to thrive. It’s time to raise the bar for Alabama’s children.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Science and education concept. AI (Artificial Intelligence).

We Need Parental Consent For AI In The Classroom

Artificial Intelligence

Computer

school district

Technology

Years ago, my husband and I were on a family trip in the Bahamas, staying at the Atlantis resort. One afternoon, we wandered through their underground aquarium caves, marveling at the marine life. A little girl stood transfixed by a tank of moray eels, their jagged teeth gleaming ominously. Her mother shuddered, remarking, “Those are scary, aren’t they?” Undeterred, the girl darted to the next exhibit — a tank of barracudas — and exclaimed, “There’s something more awful than that, Mummy!”
Her innocent quest for the next frightful spectacle stuck with me, and lately, it’s become a metaphor for the conservative movement’s obsession with outrage.
On platforms like X, I see a similar pattern unfolding daily. A post about a classroom poster in Wisconsin — declaring, “If your parents aren’t accepting of your identity, I’m your mom now,” with rainbow flags and cartoon bears — ignites a firestorm. Commenters pile on, each trying to outdo the last: “This is grooming!” “It’s a cult!” “Wait until you hear about what’s happening in another district!”
The refrain echoes that little girl’s cry: There’s something more awful than that. We’re trapped in an outrage cycle, endlessly seeking the next shocking story about what’s happening to our kids, from controversial school policies to perceived overreaches by educators. But this one-upmanship isn’t moving us forward — it’s keeping us stuck.
The conservative movement has mastered the art of highlighting what’s wrong, and that awareness is crucial. Parents need to know when their rights are being undermined, whether by schools, government policies, or cultural shifts. But awareness alone isn’t enough. We can’t keep pointing to the next “awful” thing without channeling that energy into action.
Outrage may grab attention, but it’s the steps we take afterward that create change. It’s time to shift our focus from amplifying the problem to building solutions — and that’s exactly what we’re doing at the Heritage Foundation.
I’m thrilled to lead the newly launched Parental Rights Network at Heritage, and I’m joined by Pat Blackburn, a passionate advocate who brings invaluable experience to this fight. Together, we’re taking the lessons we learned from our time at Moms for Liberty — where we saw the power of grassroots organizing and the hunger parents have to protect their role in their children’s lives — and using them to create real momentum in the parental rights and family empowerment movement.
The Parental Rights Network is designed to foster collaboration and create momentum by connecting individuals and groups across the country. Anyone can join the Network through a link on our landing page, opening the door to a community dedicated to strengthening parental rights.
Our mission is clear: we want to move beyond the outrage cycle and toward tangible outcomes. That means equipping parents with the tools to advocate for their rights, connecting them with like-minded communities, and pushing for policies that prioritize parental authority over government overreach.
To make this happen, we’re hosting weekly calls where members can share resources, tools, and information, and connect with others across the country to build a stronger, unified movement. We’ll also send out a weekly newsletter recapping key updates, insights, and opportunities to stay engaged. Instead of just sharing the next alarming story, we’re encouraging parents to take action — attend a school board meeting, engage with local lawmakers, or join forces with other families to demand transparency and accountability in every aspect when it comes to their kids.
The Network isn’t just about pointing out what’s wrong. It’s about building a coalition that can right those wrongs.
The conservative movement has a choice. We can keep chasing “something more awful than that,” letting outrage define our response, or we can harness that energy to create a future where parents are empowered and respected as the primary decision-makers for their children. At the Parental Rights Network, we’re choosing the latter. Join us by signing up through our landing page, participating in our weekly calls, and staying informed with our newsletter.
Together, we can move from outrage to action — because our kids deserve more than a cycle of anger; they deserve a movement that delivers real change.
* * *
Tiffany Justice is the chair of the Parental Rights Initiative at the Heritage Foundation.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Correction: A previous subheading to this article read &#8220;Moms for Liberty joins forces with The Heritage Foundation to create real momentum for parental rights.&#8221; Moms for Liberty, however, is not working directly with the Heritage Foundation. We regret the error.

Schoolgirl runs from school bus to hug mother

Beyond Outrage: A Call To Action For Conservative Parents

Heritage Foundation

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