Indiana Parents Petition Supreme Court After Child Is Removed From Home For Refusing Child’s Chosen Pronouns:
Mary and Jeremy Cox, represented by legal firm Becket, have taken their case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the state violated their rights by keeping their child away from them solely based on their disagreement with his gender identity.
Becket, a religious freedom law firm, is representing the Coxes in their appeal to the Supreme Court, stressing the importance of safeguarding parental rights and religious freedoms even amidst ideological differences.
In 2019, the Coxes’ son disclosed identifying as a girl, but in adherence to their Catholic beliefs regarding gender, they opted not to address him using pronouns and a name that didn’t align with his biological sex.
Indiana officials initiated an inquiry into the Coxes following reports of their reluctance to acknowledge their child’s preferred gender identity. Despite no evidence of abuse, the state removed the child from their care and placed him in a home that supports his asserted gender identity.
Accusations arose against the Coxes for exacerbating their child’s eating disorder, a claim they refute, contending that it deteriorated after he was separated from their custody. They engaged in a legal dispute as they fought for their prerogative to raise their child in accordance with their religious convictions.
Expressing their distress, Mary and Jeremy Cox articulated, “This is what every parent is afraid of. We love our son and wanted to care for him, but the state of Indiana robbed us of that opportunity by taking him from our home and banning us from speaking to him about gender.”
Throughout the trial, Indiana officials contended that the child should reside in an environment where he is embraced for who he identifies as, leading to limited visitations for the Coxes and constraints on discussing their religious beliefs with their child.
Despite being deemed capable parents, the child’s removal from the Coxes’ custody was affirmed by the trial and appeals courts, raising concerns about parental rights and governmental interference in family matters.
The Coxes’ situation has garnered national interest and sparked apprehensions about the degree to which parental rights can be encroached upon due to discrepancies regarding gender identity and religious convictions.
Becket and the Coxes are imploring the Supreme Court to consider their case. In a joint statement, they emphasized, “If this can happen in Indiana, it can happen anywhere. Tearing a child away from loving parents because of their religious beliefs, which are shared by millions of Americans, is an outrage to the law, parental rights, and basic human decency. If the Supreme Court doesn’t take this case, how many times will this happen to other families?”
