Colorado School District Policy Forces Children to Bunk with Opposite Biological Sex Students

Parents in Colorado are suing a school district over an alleged policy that forced their children to share sleeping accommodations with students of the opposite biological sex, which they claim violates their rights and privacy concerns.

Colorado parents are facing off against a school district policy that they allege violates their parental rights and puts their children's privacy and safety at risk. The lawsuit, filed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on behalf of three Colorado families, claims that Jefferson County Public Schools (JeffCo) has a policy that mandates the assignment of students to overnight accommodations based on their self-asserted "gender identity" rather than their biological sex.

The policy states that students who identify as the opposite sex should be "assigned to share overnight accommodations with other students that share the student’s gender identity consistently asserted at school." However, the lawsuit alleges that the school district fails to disclose this redefinition of "girl" and "boy," leaving parents in the dark about the potential implications for their children's privacy.

Colorado School District Policy Forces Children to Bunk with Opposite Biological Sex Students

Joe and Serena Wailes, one of the plaintiff families, allege that their 11-year-old daughter was forced to share her bed with a biological male who identified as a girl on an overnight trip in June 2023. The Wailes' daughter only found out about the student's biological sex when the student told her as they were getting ready for bed on the first night of the trip.

The lawsuit argues that the district refused to give parents "truthful, pertinent information" about their children’s overnight accommodations, which hinders their ability "to make informed decisions about their children’s education and privacy." Serena Wailes told Fox News Digital that parents should have complete transparency from schools on information that directly impacts their children.

Colorado School District Policy Forces Children to Bunk with Opposite Biological Sex Students

"We never thought our daughter would be put in a situation like this, or we would be forced to ask our own school district to stop hiding information regarding our children’s privacy and safety," she said. "Every child deserves respect and privacy, but that respect and privacy must extend to all students equally, and as parents, we have a duty to make the best decisions on behalf of our children to guide and protect their well-being."

Since the Wailes spoke out in December, more parents have come forward with similar reports. At the district's "Outdoor Lab" retreat, a group of middle-school girls had a student who identified as trans placed in their cabin without the knowledge of their parents. In addition, a high school counselor, a transgender-identifying female, was put in charge of a cabin of sixth-grade boys, which reportedly included monitoring their showers.

Colorado School District Policy Forces Children to Bunk with Opposite Biological Sex Students

Mallory Sleight, ADF legal counsel, told Fox News Digital that the Wailes and the other two families suing just want what is best for their children so they can feel safe and comfortable at school and on school trips.

"JeffCo has pushed a policy that leaves parents in the dark and creates confusion and discomfort for children attending school-sponsored trips," she said. "We are now filing this lawsuit against Jefferson County Public Schools because they continue to override the voice of parents by ignoring their concerns for their children."

Colorado School District Policy Forces Children to Bunk with Opposite Biological Sex Students

Joe Wailes previously described feeling "helpless" in protecting his daughter from the situation in a December interview with Fox News Digital.

"It was a bit of a shock. It was a helpless feeling," he said. "Here I am … she was calling me and texting me from the bathroom because she didn't want the other kids to overhear what she was saying. So it's a pretty helpless feeling when your daughter is hiding in the bathroom, she's trying to convey a message to you, and you're 2,000 miles away and can't do anything."

Fox News Digital reached out to JeffCo for comment, but no response was immediately available.