Lincoln County mother appeals case of childs gender expression at school [Video]

A federal appeals court is weighing whether a Lincoln County mother should be allowed to sue her local school district for allowing her child to use a different name and pronouns in school without telling her.

A federal judge had dismissed the case in May, saying Newcastle mother Amber Lavigne lacked a claim eligible for legal relief. Lavigne had already pulled her child out of school. She appealed the decision later that month to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, where oral arguments were held Wednesday morning.

Lavigne initially filed a suit against the Damariscotta-based district in April 2023, alleging it violated her parental rights when teachers and administrators allowed her child to use a different name and pronouns in school than what had been assigned at birth. She also alleges a school counselor gave the 13-year-old a chest binder.

Lavigne is represented by the conservative Arizona-based think tank the Goldwater Institute. The plaintiff’s broader argument …