Catholic Parents Seek Custody of Daughter After Alleged School-Facilitated Transition
Massachusetts couple claims school encouraged their child's gender transition without their consent, leading to state intervention.
Devout Catholic parents in Massachusetts are seeking to regain custody of their 17-year-old daughter, Sophie, who they allege began a gender transition with the covert assistance of her high school. Joseph and Arlene Kutzko have not had contact with their daughter since late 2024, when she was reportedly removed from their home by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) because the parents do not acknowledge Sophie as male due to their religious beliefs.
The Kutzkos claim that staff at Algonquin Regional High School exposed Sophie to gender ideologies without their knowledge. According to her father, the issues began in November 2024, when Sophie, then 15, became withdrawn from the family and started attending after-school "counseling" sessions for gender transitioning. The parents stated they were informed these sessions were for extra math help.
"We didn't find out until after Sophie was removed," Joseph Kutzko told Fox News reporter Lauren Green on her Lighthouse Faith podcast. "It came on like a tornado."
Vernadette Broyles, an attorney representing the family and affiliated with the Child and Parental Rights Campaign, stated that the school participated in what she termed "secret transitioning." Broyles alleges that school personnel began using male and non-binary pronouns for Sophie and a male name during these counseling sessions, which she suspects were intended to affirm Sophie's rejection of her sex. "All of this was happening completely secret to the parents," Broyles said.
The parents are now fighting in court to prevent Sophie from receiving high-dose testosterone, which Broyles argued does not constitute ordinary medical care and requires parental consent or court permission. "We are actively fighting in court to keep them from really poisoning this young lady with testosterone," Broyles stated, adding that DCF intends to proceed with the treatment.
According to the Kutzkos, DCF has accused them of abuse against their daughter. Joseph Kutzko was previously arrested on these allegations, but Broyles maintains that the claims of physical abuse were untrue and unsupported. "The only thing that's left is an allegation of neglect that has never been described," Broyles said, suggesting the charge stems from the parents' refusal to acknowledge Sophie's transition.
Joseph and Arlene Kutzko expressed a strong desire for their daughter's return. "More than anything, they want their daughter to come back and live with them again, but they can't get in touch with her," the report states. "I even begged them just to hug her or kiss her. They said they can't; they will not allow it," Arlene Kutzko said emotionally. Joseph added, "The most important thing is to bring her back to our family, but a shorter-term goal is to prevent them from giving her testosterone… We’re begging the state, "Please, do not give our daughter testosterone."".
The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough has denied the Kutzkos' claims. Superintendent Gregory L. Martineau released a statement calling the allegations "baseless," "grossly insensitive, intrusive and dangerous," and asserted that they have no foundation in reality, particularly when considering mandatory reporting guidelines for school employees. It remains unclear where Sophie is currently residing.