On October 7, 2025, the debate over transgender rights and parental authority in schools took center stage once again as Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a friend-of-the-court brief to support January Littlejohn, a parental rights activist whose lawsuit against her child’s school district has become a lightning rod in the national conversation about LGBTQ+ inclusion and education policy. Uthmeier’s move, joined by 21 other state attorneys general, signals a growing coalition of officials determined to challenge what they describe as a disregard for parents in decisions about their children’s gender identity at school.
The case at the heart of this controversy began in 2022, when Littlejohn, a registered Republican and vocal opponent of transgender rights, sued the Leon County School District and staff at Deer Lake Middle School. She claimed the school allowed her 13-year-old child to use they/them pronouns and a masculine nickname—"J"—without her knowledge or consent. According to Littlejohn, school officials met with her child and created a Transgender/Gender Nonconforming Student Support Plan, allegedly keeping her in the dark.
But the facts, as reported by CNN and reviewed by LGBTQ Nation, complicate this narrative. Publicly released emails reveal that Littlejohn herself asked school staff to use they/them pronouns for her nonbinary child. "This has been an incredibly difficult situation for our family and her father and I are trying to be as supportive as we can," she wrote in an email. "She is currently identifying as non-binary. She would like to go by the new name [redacted] and prefers the pronouns they/them. We have not changed her name at home yet, but I told her if she wants to go by the name [redacted] with her teachers, I won’t stop her." In a follow-up, she added, "Whatever you think is best or [redacted] can handle it herself." Another message from the same day underscored her willingness to let her child take the lead: "This gender situation has thrown us for a loop. I sincerely appreciate your support. I’m going to let her take the lead on this."
Despite these communications, Littlejohn’s lawsuit claims that school officials acted without her input, a claim that has been widely cited by supporters of Florida’s Don’t Say Gay law—a statute that sharply restricts how LGBTQ+ topics are addressed in classrooms. According to LGBTQ Nation, Littlejohn’s case was a major motivator for the passage of this law, which in turn inspired similar legislation across the country. Proponents of the law argue that it’s necessary to prevent schools from exposing children to ideas their parents may not agree with, and stories like Littlejohn’s are often held up as proof that parental rights are under threat.
Yet, the policies in place at the time of the incident tell a different story. During the 2020-21 school year, Leon County Schools operated under a 2018 guide that explicitly warned about the risks of "outing" a student to their parents. The guide allowed for a support plan in which students could decide if, when, and how to share information about their gender identity at home. For some students, especially those with unsupportive or hostile parents, being outed could pose real dangers to their well-being.
Leon County Schools reported that fewer than 10 students out of 33,000 had such a support plan in place. A district spokesperson said they believed they were working "with clear communication" from Littlejohn, but that "outside entities became involved" as the dispute escalated. Those outside entities include the Child & Parental Rights Campaign (CPRC), an anti-transgender legal organization representing Littlejohn in her lawsuit. Since the filing, Littlejohn has aligned herself with groups like Moms for Liberty, a Florida-based organization known for its opposition to LGBTQ+ rights and public education policies perceived as progressive.
In March 2025, a federal court dismissed Littlejohn’s lawsuit. Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote, "The school officials named in the case did not force the Littlejohns’ child to do anything at all. And perhaps most importantly, defendants did not act with intent to injure. To the contrary, they sought to help the child." Rosenbaum added, "Even if the Littlejohns felt that defendants’ efforts to help their child were misguided or wrong, the mere fact that the school officials acted contrary to the Littlejohns’ wishes does not mean that their conduct ‘shocks the conscience’ in a constitutional sense."
Judge Kevin C. Newsom, in a concurring opinion, acknowledged that he considered the school district’s actions "shameful," but emphasized the legal distinction at play: "If I were a legislator, I’d vote to change the policy that enabled the defendants’ efforts to keep the Littlejohns in the dark. But — and it’s a big but — judges aren’t just politicians in robes, and they don’t (or certainly shouldn’t) just vote their personal preferences."
The legal and political battle surrounding Littlejohn’s case is just one facet of a much larger national debate about transgender rights, science, and public policy. On the same day Uthmeier filed his brief, The Open Notebook and the Trans Journalists Association (TJA) published a comprehensive resource collection aimed at improving evidence-based reporting on transgender issues. Their guide emphasizes the need for journalists to ground their stories in scientific evidence, include perspectives from trustworthy experts, and interrogate claims made by public officials—especially as misinformation and politicization cloud the public discourse.
The TJA’s resources provide best practices for reporting on topics such as anti-trans executive orders, the U.S. v. Skrmetti Supreme Court case (which upheld a Tennessee law banning certain medical care for trans youth), and the nuances of polling and sports coverage related to transgender topics. The collection also offers scientific context on gender-affirming medical care, educational policy, sports participation, military service, hate crimes, and workplace discrimination. Additional materials include demographic data, interviews with experts, and a glossary to help journalists accurately and sensitively cover transgender communities.
Scientific consensus, as highlighted in resources like Scientific American and Nature, underscores that the concept of two rigid sexes is overly simplistic. Leading medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, support gender-affirming care as evidence-based and beneficial for trans youth. Yet, as The Open Notebook points out, these topics are frequently politicized, with public officials and advocacy groups often making claims that diverge from the scientific consensus.
As legal battles like Littlejohn’s continue to shape public policy and spark heated debate, the need for accurate, nuanced, and science-based reporting has never been greater. The intersection of parental rights, student privacy, and transgender inclusion in schools is complex, touching on fundamental questions about safety, autonomy, and the role of government in private lives. For now, the courts have ruled against Littlejohn, but the broader fight over how schools support transgender students—and how journalists cover these stories—shows no sign of abating.
With both legal and media landscapes evolving, the outcome of these debates will have profound implications for students, parents, and communities across the country.
