Massachusetts Parents Challenge State Custody Over Daughter's Gender Transition

A Massachusetts couple, Joseph and Arlene Kutzko, is engaged in a legal battle against the state’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) after their daughter was removed from their home in December 2024. The parents allege that Algonquin Regional High School began socially transitioning their daughter, Sophie, without their consent. The Kutzkos, who oppose gender transition on religious and scientific grounds, claim the state intervened partly due to their refusal to affirm their daughter's gender identity.

A judge recently issued a temporary order blocking the administration of testosterone to the now 17-year-old. The family’s attorney, Vernadette Broyles, stated that the parents have been barred from communicating with their daughter and alleged that the state has placed the teen in a male dormitory while providing psychiatric medication. Conversely, Governor Maura Healey has defended the DCF’s actions, asserting that the child’s removal was prompted by criminal charges filed against the parents rather than issues surrounding gender-affirming care. A court hearing regarding the custody dispute is set for October 29.