Mother suing city and county government services and departments after son undergoes transgender services
Duluth, MN – A northern Minnesota mother is suing local government officials for helping her son undergo transgender services without her consent.
On Wednesday, Anmarie Calgaro filed suit against St. Louis County and several governmental agencies for “usurping her parental rights.” She claims the county helped her seventeen-year-old son to receive transgender services and narcotic drugs without her knowledge or consent.
A press release from Calgaro’s attorneys claims that in June of 2015, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Clinic advised Calgaro’s son that he was emancipated, or considered free of parental control, without a court order; however no official legal action was completed to terminate his mother’s parental rights.
The not-for-profit public interest law firm, The Thomas More Society, along with Mohrman, Kaardal & Erickson, P.A. is representing Calgaro.
Calgaro’s attorneys claim Park Nicollet Minneapolis Gender Services provided medical treatment for a sex change from male to female and Fairview Health Services provided him with narcotics related to gender reassignment treatment. St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services paid for the medical services and narcotics.
The St. Louis County Schools, Independent School District 2142, is also treating the child as an emancipated minor, despite there being no legal action to emancipate him. The school district is classifying the boy as an adult with exclusive rights to information and decision-making.
Attorney Erick Kaardal says emancipation of Calgaro’s son is being based off of Minnesota Statute 144.341, which states:
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any minor who is living separate and apart from parents or legal guardian, whether with or without the consent of a parent or guardian and regardless of the duration of such separate residence, and who is managing personal financial affairs, regardless of the source or extent of the minor’s income, may give effective consent to personal medical, dental, mental and other health services, and the consent of no other person is required.”
Calgaro’s attorneys note, however, that if a court has not deemed Calgaro’s son emancipated then he is not technically emancipated.
“Why wasn’t I even notified?” asked an emotional Calgaro at a press conference Wednesday. She said her son, “has always been and always will be welcome in our home.”
According to her suit, Minnesota law provides Calgaro no recourse to challenge the emancipation status, claiming it is a violation of her rights as guaranteed under the United States Constitution.
Named as defendants in Calgaro’s lawsuit are St. Louis County, St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services Director, Fairview Health Services, Park Nicollet Health Services, St. Louis County School District, Principal of the Cherry School, and her minor son.
“This is an outrageous abuse of power by multiple agencies,” stated Tom Brejcha, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society. “To treat a minor child without either parental consent or a court order of emancipation is a violation of the trust placed upon the human service sector and its governmental oversight agencies. To give a parent no recourse to intervene in this situation is an egregious violation of Constitutional rights.”
A video of the full press conference can be seen here.