School District in Pennsylvania Reaches Agreement With Mother After Referring to Her Daughter as a Boy in Secret

Pennsylvania School District Settles Lawsuit with Mother

A school district in Pennsylvania has wrapped up a lengthy legal dispute with a mother who alleged that staff members treated her daughter as if she were a boy without her knowledge, according to local news reports.

Michelle Landerer’s attorney submitted a settlement agreement in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on November 24, marking the end of the case initiated against the Dover Area School District. In a lawsuit filed on April 3, 2024, Landerer claimed that the school referred to her daughter as “Caleb,” using male pronouns without her consent, and that her son discovered this through a conversation with a teacher.

In the detailed complaint, it was explained that Landerer first became aware in August 2022 that her daughter had been identified as a boy named ‘Caleb’ by school officials. This revelation came when her son, JG, was confronted by a teacher who asked, “What’s going on with your brother ‘Caleb’?” JG was confused, replying that he had no brother by that name, only to be told that his sister, OG, had been identified in that way.

JG then informed his mother about the teacher’s remarks. The complaint also noted that, without these conversations with school staff, it’s likely Landerer wouldn’t have discovered that her daughter was undergoing a social transition to a male identity without parental involvement.

In a ruling on February 13, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, appointed by Trump, permitted Landerer to pursue certain claims against the district. Earlier that June, the Supreme Court had sided with parents challenging a Maryland school district’s refusal to allow their children to engage with an “LGBTQ+-inclusive” picture book.

The Dover Area School District has yet to provide any comments regarding the settlement. Elsewhere, in Florida and Wisconsin, parents have launched lawsuits against school districts for transitioning children without parental knowledge, highlighting a growing concern over such practices. One notable case in Florida involved a 12-year-old girl who reportedly attempted suicide during a covert transition process at her school.