A heartbroken California couple is suing the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging that school officials’ secretive transgender policies contributed to their son’s tragic suicide by withholding critical information from them, violating parental rights and endangering vulnerable youth.
Kathleen Mulligan and Andrew Parke filed the federal lawsuit against Palisades Charter High School, claiming staff affirmed and reinforced their son Dylan’s social transition without their knowledge or consent. Dylan, diagnosed with depression and potentially influenced by social contagion, began identifying as “Aria” with she/her pronouns in 2019-2020. The school treated this as an “absolute directive,” providing praise, support, and even information on LGBT youth housing, while ignoring the mother’s concerns about his mental health and possible autism.
Officials kept details secret, leading Dylan to become withdrawn, oppositional, and distrustful of his family. He committed suicide in March 2024 at age 19. The lawsuit argues this secrecy aligns with California’s now-struck-down 2024 law preventing schools from notifying parents of a child’s gender identity without permission, and echoes a recent Supreme Court block on similar rules.
Parents state: “It is every parents’ nightmare. There are no more birthdays to celebrate, there is an empty seat at the Thanksgiving table, [they] will never see Dylan graduate from college, have a family, or watch him reach his full potential.” This case exposes the dangers of school policies that prioritize radical gender ideology over parental involvement and child safety, often leading to irreversible harm.