Significant Developments in Jane Doe’s “Transgender/Suicide” Superior Court Lawsuit
There has been two recent and important developments in the complaint filed by the Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity on behalf of Jane Doe, plaintiff, in a case seeking repeal of the RI Department of Education’s illicit 2018 transgender regulation. Oral arguments in RI’s Superior Court are scheduled for August 19.
First, in an alarming and revealing statement in an official court document he submitted, the attorney for RIDE, Anthony F Cottone, directly accused the mother of the student victim, Jane Doe, of wanting to “disappear” “the very existence” of her own daughter and other gender-confused high school students.
This unhinged accusation demonstrates the radical views of the woke Left, RIDE, and their supporters … according to Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “This is a staggering and disgusting assertion that reveals much about the extremism that RIDE is promoting,” he commented. “Perhaps the Court should censure Mr. Cottone for his callous and uncivil statement?”
Second, and underscoring the importance of this case, which involves an attempted suicide attempt by Doe’s daughter after she was secretly transitioned with the aide of public school officials … on June 30, the RI chapter of the ACLU filed an “entry of appearance” motion in support of the defendant (RIDE) so as to be able to participate in the proceedings and to file an amicus brief.
The attorney for Jane Doe, Gregory Piccirilli, has filed an objection, asking the Court to “reject the motion by Amici to attempt to file an amicus brief” and to involve themselves in this case. A hearing on the Amici motion has been scheduled for July 23.
Later this week, Piccirilli expects to file a reply to RIDE’s objection to the plaintiff’s complaint, which calls for a declaratory judgment to strike down the regulation. The reply letter will also call out the outrageous statement made by attorney Cottone, described above.
The RI ACLU’s petition to become actively involved in this case is a clear indication of the national and precedent-setting importance of the lawsuit … and of the threat Jane Doe’s case poses to RIDE’s overall transgender guidance. A favorable ruling for the plaintiff could dramatically alter the course of the pro-transgender K-12 policies in our state and and nation.
For over a decade, the ACLU has overtly promoted the concept of special rights and protections for K-12 transgender students, even though no such rights are directly or indirectly embodied in the US or RI Constitution … and even though the granting of such protections may cause infringements on the rights of others.
The legal concept of special rights for special interest groups – especially when at the expense of others – is clearly in play in this case … and why the ACLU appears to have interest in preserving its identity politics positions and the RIDE regulation.
Earlier in the year, RIDE had also been referred for investigation to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the US Department of Education by the Law Centre. It is expected that the newly installed OCR will soon respond.
To summarize Jane Doe’s family tragedy, and why RIDE’s transgender regulation should be struck down by the Court because of the actual harm it has caused:
- Daughter Doe was sexually abused as a young child and suffered deep emotional scars
- A RIDE-approved SEL survey (Social & Emotional Learning) took advantage of this emotional instability and served to groom Daughter Doe into questioning her identity as a girl
- Public school officials assented to her request for an identity change when she was in 8th grade, and encouraged her to continue her transition … even referring her to a school-based emotional support Center (which presumably further encouraged her transition)
- The public school district never notified her mother, Jane Doe. This disdain for parental rights is provided for in the RIDE regulation in question
- For over two years, Daughter Doe lived a stressful dual life … pretending to be a boy in school, while portraying herself as a girl (she no longer wanted to be) when under her mother’s care
- By 10th grade, Daughter Doe could no longer handle the stress and sought to take her own life … attempting suicide in front of her mother and younger brother
- Only at the hospital did Jane Doe learn of the secret, gender-denying transition that her daughter was going through
But the tragedy gets even worse for Jane …
- Jane Doe was a service worker in the same school district as her daughter
- Her request for “family leave” to care for her daughter, as provided by law, was denied
- When Jane Doe took some time away from work to care for her daughter, she was essentially fired … as she was told that her contract would not be renewed
- Upon losing her job, Jane Doe could no longer make payments, and she lost her house. She and her sons are now living with her mother. She has since found low-paying employment
- In April of 2025, Jane Doe, a member of RI Moms for Liberty, agreed to be plaintiff in the complaint against RIDE, which had previously been initiated by the Law Centre
- The school district refused to turn over the full history and medical records of Daughter Doe, as required by law, and despite her mother’s written authorization
- During a pre-trial conference with an internal RIDE hearing officer, and only after threat of a subpoena, were certain other records released
And to top it all off …
- Jane Doe is now completely alienated from her daughter, who no longer lives with her, and with whom she has not been able to speak for many months … she has also lost her daughter
