Montana governor defends removal of 14-year-old from parents who opposed gender identity
HELENA, Mont. (TND) — Republican Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte told The National Desk (TND) Monday state officials acted within their legal limitations by removing a child from parents who objected to their transitioning gender identity.
Montana Child and Family Services (CFS) officials took custody of the 14-year-old from parents Krista and Todd Kolstad this month, according to Reduxx. The teenager is reportedly a biological female and recently began to express suicidal thoughts.
While being treated at a hospital in August, doctors began using the child's preferred name and pronouns, which do not correspond with the child's biological sex, according to Reduxx. The parents reportedly opposed and noted allowing their child to undergo any form of gender transition, socially or medically, was a violation of their "values, morals, and ... religious beliefs."
Doctors reportedly later moved the 14-year-old to a specialized residential treatment facility in Wyoming despite the parents preferring a facility in Billings, Montana. Krista and Todd claim they were given no information as to their child’s well-being or treatment during that time, according to Reduxx.
In September, the 14-year-old was returned to Montana and placed in a group home, according to Reduxx. After four months, Krista and Todd were reportedly notified that custody was being granted to CFS and the agency would be allowing the child's birth mother in Canada to ultimately assume care.
“We were told that letting [the child] transition and live as a boy was in her ‘therapeutic best interest’ and because we aren’t willing to follow that recommendation, the court gave CFS custody of [the child] for six months,” Krista told Reduxx. "The judge said to us ‘you need to expect that reunification with your family may not be what you are expecting.'"
The parents reportedly say they are now exploring their "limited" legal avenues to fight CFS and the hospital where their child was treated.
When asked to comment on the matter, Gov. Gianforte told TND that children's rights to "grow up in happy, healthy homes with loving families" are "not always realized."
“Upon hearing recent allegations related to a child welfare case, I asked Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras – an experienced attorney, constitutional conservative, mother, and grandmother – to review it,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Consulting with the director of DPHHS and personally examining case documents, Lieutenant Governor Juras has concluded that DPHHS and the court have followed state policy and law in their handling of this tragic case.”
Gov. Gianforte continued, noting a Montana law prohibiting medical gender transitions for minors.
“Our administration will continue to advance policies that strengthen our families and protect Montana kids, like what we have done to promote adoption and to ban permanent, invasive, life-altering medical procedures on children, like puberty blockers, hormonal treatments, and sex-reassignment surgeries," he said.
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