A mother and father in England have decided to sue their son’s school for allowing another boy to wear a dress to class.
According to The Daily Mail, Nigel and Sally Rowe believe they are “taking a stand” against the Church of England school, claiming there is an “agenda overriding our beliefs.”
As of Monday morning, the Rowes have removed both of their sons from the school and are planning to file a lawsuit.
Nigel and Sally have accused the school of putting their boys in an uncomfortable position by allowing another boy to wear a dress to school.
Their outrage was reportedly made clear when their son came home from school “confused as to why a boy was now a girl.”
The couple’s 8-year-old son was reportedly withdrawn from the school last year after a similar incident.
Nigel and Sally say the school’s decision to teach children to see transgender people as “real” males or females while using “gender appropriate pronouns” overrides their religious beliefs.
“We’re doing it because we want to make a stand for parents like ourselves who feel there is an agenda going on that is overriding our beliefs,” said Nigel, 44. “There are a lot of people who are very angry about what is going on in our schools, but they are too afraid of voicing their opinions. We think that somebody has to speak out before it gets out of control.”
“In basic terms, we believe it is wrong to encourage very young and vulnerable children to embrace the false promise of transgenderism,” Nigel continued. “We think there is a real danger of children being left with psychological issues. They are complex social issues but the fact is they are too complex for a child.”
“We have great compassion for children with gender dysphoria. All children are special. But we think their parents are being served a huge injustice by the schools – they need more professional, private consultation,” he added.
The couple’s lawyer is expected to argue that the school is discriminating against them by implying that their Christian faith makes them transphobic.
The school, in turn, claims that it is merely following the Church of England guidance and rules laid out by the Equality Act, which went into effect in 2010.
“Our schools are inclusive spaces where pupils learn to respect diversity. We comply with the legal requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and believe all should feel welcomed,” a spokesman for the Diocese of Portsmouth, which covers the Isle of Wight, said.
Meanwhile, Nigel and Sally Rowe say their children will be homeschooled from now on.
