US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to “protecting children from toxic ideologies in schools,” citing the case of January and Jeffrey Littlejohn, a Florida couple who claimed their 13-year-old daughter was secretly socially transitioned by her school.
During a televised address to Congress, Trump alleged that the school concealed the transition from the parents, encouraging the child to use a new name and they/them pronouns without informing them. He used this example to justify his administration’s stance against “transgender ideology” in public schools and his push to criminalize sex changes for minors.
Emails Contradict the Claims
However, emails obtained by multiple media outlets suggest a different narrative.
The Tallahassee Democrat and CNN reported that January Littlejohn had informed the school in 2020 that her child wanted to use a gender-neutral name and they/them pronouns.
“This has been an incredibly difficult situation for our family… She is currently identifying as non-binary,” Littlejohn wrote in an email, adding that she and her husband were trying to be as supportive as possible. She even instructed the teacher to let her child take the lead on the matter.
These revelations contradict Trump’s assertion that the parents were deceived and unaware of their child’s social transition.
The Littlejohns’ Case Used in Political Campaigns
The case had previously been used by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to promote the controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which limits discussions on gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. At a 2022 news conference, DeSantis claimed the school “decided” the child was a boy and deliberately hid this from the parents.
Yet, according to Leon County Schools, the situation was handled with clear communication and parental involvement. School officials stated that the parents gave permission for their child to use different pronouns and a new name at school.
Littlejohns’ Lawsuit Dismissed
Despite their claims, the Littlejohn family filed a lawsuit against Leon County Schools, alleging the district violated their parental rights. However, in December 2022, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit.
School district officials maintained that their approach was in line with the family’s requests, with Chris Petley, a spokesperson for Leon County Schools, stating: “The family clearly instructed school staff via email to allow their child to ‘take the lead on this’ and to do ‘whatever you think is best.’”
While Trump and DeSantis have used the Littlejohn case as evidence of an alleged “transgender ideology” being forced upon children, emails and court rulings suggest a more complex reality—one that doesn’t fully align with their narrative.
