Massachusetts Family Fights for Custody of ‘Trans’ Daughter

by Jeff Johnston | September 16, 2026 | Culture Sexuality

A Massachusetts family is fighting for custody of their daughter after she was removed from their home because they would not affirm her claim that she’s a boy.

Joseph and Arlene Kutzko allege that their daughter, Sophie, was first groomed and “transitioned” into believing she was a boy by her high school. Their Catholic faith would not allow them to agree with false “transgender” ideology, so the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) removed the then-fifteen-year-old girl from their home.

The Kutzkos, along with Vernadette Broyles, president and chief counsel of Child & Parental Rights Campaign, explained the story to Fox News Religion Correspondent Lauren Green on her podcast Lighthouse Faith.

Joseph Kutzko explained that their daughter was secretly “transitioned” after she was exposed to LGBT teaching through the Northborough-Southborough Regional School District. He said the topics conflicted with their “Catholic beliefs about human dignity [and] creation as male and female.”

In November of 2024, the Kutzkos noticed behavior changes in their 15-year old daughter, as she became more withdrawn. Up until that time, Sophie had been deeply involved with her family in their local church.

Algonquin Regional High School had placed her in counseling sessions – without the Kutzko’s knowledge or consent. The school lied and told them she “was staying after school for extra math help.”

Broyles explained the school was doing what schools across the country have done – secretly transitioning Sophie. She added, “Sophie had started to reject her sex, like so many thousands of girls across the country.” The school used a male name and pronouns to refer to her, affirming her rejection of her natural sex.

Broyles stated that the school reported the family to DCF because “they knew this Catholic family would not affirm the falsehood that their daughter was a boy.”

Joseph said that they’ve had no contact with their daughter since January of 2025, and Broyles added the court put the no-contact decision “entirely in the hands of this minor child.”

The family is fighting in court to be able to contact Sophie, to bring her back home, and to stop the court from giving her testosterone.

Broyles said there were also initial allegations of physical abuse and neglect against Joseph, but these charges were untrue and unsupported, so the cases have been dropped.

Massachusetts DCF – along with many schools, transgender activists, politicians, state legislatures, and other child protective services agencies – call it “abuse” for parents not to affirm a child’s sexual identity confusion.

This is not an isolated event, despite what trans activists and their allies maintain, saying, “That never happens.”

It does happen, and has been happening for years now. Across the country.

Schools have been inculcating children into transgender ideology, teaching that they might really be the opposite sex – or another pseudo-gender altogether. This indoctrination often begins with impressionable young children in pre-kindergarten, continuing through 12th grade.

Schools then help these confused, sexualized children to “socially and medically transition,” as the Daily Citizen has repeatedly reported.

Broyles told Green that Child & Parental Rights Campaign has been contacted by parents in many different states who are in similar situations, as her organization works with parents who seek to protect their parental rights and their relationships with their children.

Most of these families suffer in silence, she added, because courts may hold them in contempt for discussing their case. She said that Massachusetts courts have protected parents’ free speech rights, which is why the Kutzkos are speaking out.

Green highlighted the importance of this issues, saying:

It is the spiritual battle of our cultural times, as people of faith war with various school districts, government services, government agencies over their parental rights.

If you’ve not paid a lot of attention to this, for whatever reason, … this is of utmost importance, because children have been removed from their homes, legally, when a child rejects their biological sex.

In the name of transgenderism, state legislatures, schools and child protective services are destroying parent-child relationships, attacking parental rights, and violating free speech and religious freedom.

This is, indeed, a spiritual battle; the Kutskos and other Christian parents are warring against the darkness of transgender ideology. Let’s pray for them to continue to have strength, to prevail and to have restored relationships with their children.

Listen to Lauren Green’s interview with the Kutzkos and Vernadette Broyles at Lighthouse Faith.

Related articles and resources:

Activist Erin Friday on Protecting Kids and Fighting ‘Gender’ Ideology

‘Art Club’ Documentary—One Family’s Escape from Gender Ideology, and the Bigger Trend Sweeping the Nation

Barrett v. Kagan: Key Takeaways From Supreme Court Ruling on ‘Transgender’ School Policies

Colorado Bill Would Force Parents to Accept Child’s New ‘Gender Identity’

Erin Friday on Family Courts, ‘Transgender’ Sanctuary States and Fighting to Protect Parental Rights

Exclusive Interview: Colorado Parents Expose ‘Gender Cult’ at Public School in New Documentary

HHS Tells States Not to Remove Children From Parents Who Affirm Biological Reality

Indiana Family Loses Custody of Son Over Religious Beliefs; Supreme Court Won’t Hear Case

Protect Your Kids from ‘Trans’ Activism — Look for These Red Flags

Radical Colorado ‘Transgender’ Bill Threatens Parents’ Rights and Free Speech