Maine Mother Appeals to Supreme Court Over Custody Case
A mother from Maine is reaching out to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding her custody dispute, claiming that school officials encouraged her child to adopt a different gender identity at school without informing her.
Amber Lavigne asserts that in December 2022, her 13-year-old daughter received a chest binder from a school social worker and discovered that staff had been using a different name and pronouns for her at school without her knowledge. In April 2023, Lavigne filed a lawsuit against the school board, claiming that this action violated her constitutional rights to guide her child’s upbringing and education.
However, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2024, determining that Lavigne didn’t provide enough evidence to hold the school board accountable. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed this decision in July 2025. Currently, attorney Lavigne, affiliated with the Goldwater Institute, is petitioning for the Supreme Court to take up her case.
Adam Shelton, a lawyer from the Goldwater Institute, noted, “We’re asking the Supreme Court to clarify that parents like Amber have the right to be informed when public school officials make significant decisions impacting their children’s mental and physical health.”
In a press release from December 22, Lavigne’s attorneys highlighted that similar cases in Massachusetts and Florida, concerning conflicts between parents and schools over gender issues, are awaiting the Supreme Court’s attention as well.
Lavigne’s legal team argues in their petition that the dismissal of her lawsuit was due to the district’s inability to provide sufficient facts showing a permanent policy regarding information withholding.
The appeal seeks to clarify if a court can dismiss custody cases based on potential “alternative explanations” before evidence is presented, and whether parents have a constitutional right to be informed when public schools facilitate a child’s gender transition.
Lavigne expressed her frustration, stating, “This situation truly represents a violation of my parental rights. It revolves around a social worker I’ve never spoken to encouraging children to keep secrets.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education initiated a Title IX investigation in February concerning the Maine Department of Education, along with a school district, over allegations that biological males were competing in girls’ sports categories. The department later confirmed that Maine was not adhering to Title IX and commenced steps to withdraw federal K-12 educational funding from the state.
