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Massachusetts Took Their Daughter After They Refused To Affirm Her Gender

15m 25s

Massachusetts Took Their Daughter After They Refused To Affirm Her Gender

Joseph and Arlene Kutzko are fighting to regain custody of their 17-year-old daughter, Sophie, who began identifying as a boy. The couple claims the state of Massachusetts has systematically denied them contact with their daughter, using unfounded allegations of abuse and vague "neglect" claims to justify keeping her in state custody. The original abuse allegations were dismissed within weeks, and the state now cites emotional neglect as a reason for continued separation, despite the parents’ devout Catholic beliefs and their daughter’s prior religious involvement. The Kutzkos allege a school-to-child services pipeline where counselors initiated transition counseling without parental consent, creating a cover for broader political and ideological influence. They argue that the state is using legal mechanisms to enforce gender transition, not protect the child. The case has gained national attention as a symbol of systemic overreach and the erosion of parental rights. The Kutzkos are seeking both immediate protection from hormone blockers and nationwide legal reforms to prevent similar actions. Their story highlights concerns about religious freedom, the role of schools in gender identity decisions, and the misuse of child protection laws. The family remains hopeful that public awareness and legal advocacy will lead to a reversal of the state’s actions and a return to family unity.

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So for all investors, CalShe products are not available in all jurisdictions. Prices, values, and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see calshe.com slash regulatory. Tired of your car insurance rate going up even with a clean driving record? You're not alone. That's why there's Jerry, your proactive insurance assistant. Jerry compares rates side by side from over 50 top insurers and helps you switch with ease. Jerry even tracks market rates and alerts you when it's best to shop. No spam calls. No. No hidden fees. Drivers who save with Jerry could save over $1,300 a year. Switch with confidence. Download the Jerry app or visit jerry.ai slash wire. They made accusations of criminal and sexual in nature, but that was a smokescreen. Behind the smokescreen was the gender transition. That was Joseph and Arlene Kutzko talking about their legal battle against the state of Massachusetts. The couple is trying to. They're trying to regain custody of their daughter, Sophie, after she began identifying as a boy. For nearly two years, the Kutzkos have been attempting to get their daughter back from the state, which initially investigated Joseph for alleged abuse, a claim the Kutzkos say was baseless. The real reason the state is keeping their daughter from them, they say, is that they have refused to call their daughter a boy due to their deeply held Catholic beliefs. In this episode, we sit down with the Kutzkos and their attorney to discuss the case, which has now gained national attention. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howell. This is a weekend edition of Morning Wire. I'm not sure you've heard, but the latest Fabletics colors are everything we need this season. Oxblood is that perfect deep wine color that immediately makes leggings and a sports bra feel more fall. 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Take a quick style quiz and be sure to select wire when prompted to unlock the offer. This is a limited time offer, so don't wait. Again, that's Fabletics.com slash wire for 70 to 80% off of everything as a new VIP. So joining us now is lawyer Bernadette Broyles and Sophie's parents, Joseph and Arlene Kutzko. Thank you all for coming on. It's our pleasure to be here. So Bernadette, I think I've got my first question for you. You know, just in terms of this case, we've reported on it. We've seen some interviews with all of you on Fox. Wanted to talk to you in person. Where does the case stand now? So the case is pending in the Worcester Juvenile Court. What people need to understand, it's a care and protection case where the allegation there is, apparently there's still an allegation of neglect. It's no longer, the original abuse allegations were unsupported almost immediately within weeks against these parents. So those allegations, those allegations are no longer part of the care and protection case against the parents. And so that's what still remains pending the juvenile court. And as I understand it, you guys are fighting in the short term for, to make sure that the state does not start administering testosterone hormone blockers to Sophie. And then you also, of course, want custody back. Is that two separate, issues and two separate legal filings? They're, well, no, they're all merged together. But, but we, you know, the most important thing is for us long term to get our daughter home whole and safe without any chemical mutilation. And what is her age right now? So she was removed from our house when she was 15. She's currently 17 years old. So it's been two years. A little bit less. Yeah. In terms of how the state has responded to you, obviously there's been accusations completely unfounded, wiped away. Have you had any contact with your daughter? What, how has the state handled that? Oh, we have had no contact with our daughter whatsoever. They will not allow it. Legally speaking, this is allowed by a state. So a state can take a child and cut off any communication at all with the parents. Well, it's remarkable. I mean, in every state that I have practiced and I practice, in several states, the primary goal of the juvenile court is family preservation to begin with and then family reunification. If it turns out that these circumstances are so extraordinary that it's necessary to keep a child. Neither one of these have been apparent in this court. Typically, there's visitation, there's contact that is facilitated, you know, by the child protective services between the child and the parent because, again, it's family preservation, or reunification. So this is absolutely extraordinary that for allegations of alleged abuse that were unsupported within two weeks by DCF, that still these parents have had allowed no contact with their daughter. These are loving, intelligent, fit parents. And even, you know, the governor says, well, there were criminal, there was a criminal case that was brought, and that's why the child was, that was taken. Well, the truth of the matter is that it was the same abuse allegations of abuse that DCF had brought initially and that they had caused the criminal case to be started. And then they turned around and unsupported those allegations. So that was 20 months ago. So they are the source. They're the source of that claim. They were the source. And they're using that claim as the rationale to keep Sophie from her parents. Correct. In fact, they use that same rationale to institute lawfare in three separate courts in the criminal misdemeanor, misdemeanor criminal court. And then in another neighboring court where some unknown person, we still don't know who this was, hired an attorney for minor Sophie to go in there and ask for a restraining order with the support of DCF. See, DCF showed up and was supportive of that restraining order. Even though this child was in the car, custody of DCF. And so the juvenile court had all the means necessary to protect her. And so did DCF. The question is, why would they do that? So there's an unknown actor in this. There is an unknown actor and undisclosed motives, which we believe we understand. I cannot believe this. I can't either. This is stunning to me. We should all be concerned by the rise in Marxist thought in our country. It attacks the very, very foundation on which our freedoms are built. And it's already having dangerous effects. Alliance Defending Freedom is pushing back, protecting your God-given rights in courtrooms across America. They're scoring critical wins for free speech, religious freedom, the sanctity of life and parental rights, even at the U.S. Supreme Court. But they rely on friends like you to keep up their work. Stand for freedom with a gift today. Your gift will be matched by a special grant while funds last. Visit joinadf.com slash wire or text wire to 83848 to make twice the impact. That's joinadf.com slash wire or text wire to 83848. So to walk back, now we reported on this before, but for those that did not see our segment on this, this is all stemming from just the fact that you refuse, because of your deeply held beliefs, to recognize your daughter's newly adopted identity. Can you unpack that? Just to say that a little bit more clearly, or refusing to say our daughter is a boy is not a beaut. We will not agree to cross-sex hormones or a new identity as the price of being her mother and father. That is not medical. That is not a medical or moral decision for the state. That is for the parents to make. And it's also important to recognize for everybody, for everybody watching, without unequivocally, we love our daughter beyond all measure. We are her parents. You're asking to stop the hormones and return a daughter to a home where we will take excellent care of her. We love her. Love her. Was there any indication that she wanted to leave home before this all unfolded? None so ever. It was like a tornado. So as I understand it too, there was a counseling from the school. Correct. Is there any sense that maybe the school drove her to these actions or a counselor drove her to these actions? It feels like this is a very abrupt shift. Is that what you feel like an outside force influenced her? Yeah. So there's two elements here. There's a long-term standing policy of the school to use pronouns and new identities without the parent's knowledge. And then. And then it was also more recent, well, two years ago now, but recently before she was taken away, the school, you know, starting in late 2024, began receiving counseling sessions with the Algonquin Regional High School counselor and to be socially transitioned to better knowledge. We weren't told that she was staying at the school for math help. So we didn't have any objections to that. Go for it. But that's. You taking the initiative to study your math. Great job. So that appeared to be a lie, a cover for what was actually happening. Absolutely. I'm losing. I'm losing my professional. Hold on a second. I'm so upset about this. Okay. Let me get it together. Sorry, guys. That's okay. So you are now, you know, you're taking this interview. You've interviewed with Fox trying to get the message. Out there. What do you hope happens in the coming days? Do you have hope that something's going to change in the system that that you're pleased will be heard or that maybe your daughter will hear you and come home? What are you hoping happens in the coming days? There's two, at least two different elements. Maybe I'll think of others when I'm speaking. But one element is obviously to save and protect our family, to get us back together. And then the second part of this is the systemic abuse that the schools do to our children needs to stop. And so we need, you know, Bernadette will, with her legal prowess, will hopefully be able to get some laws executed that will be not only nationwide, you know, not only statewide, but nationwide. Additionally, you know, I think something that we've missed, and I want to articulate it. I just want to take it, you know, so, so they don't come out and, you know, we're in legal lawfare as Bernadette, and I'll let Bernadette expand on that if she wants to, but we're in legal lawfare. So what happened? You know, John, if I can, if I can just add to that, there appears to be a school to CPS pipeline at work. So it was school officials. They are secretly meeting with a child and endorsing their gender confusion and keeping secrets from parents. And then at some point, for whatever reason, what we don't know exactly what the child said, allegations of abuse, then they report the parents to DCS and you drop your child off and you don't see your child again. What's remarkable, John, is that DCF here, they're not straight out saying we are keeping this child in our custody. Because the parents refused to transition. They're smart enough not to say that because they recognize that really isn't legitimate reason. Instead, what's hanging over these parents' head is a nebulous neglect allegation. They don't even know, they haven't even specified exactly how have they neglected their child. So it's using existing laws, neglect, emotional abuse, to shoehorn keeping able to keep a child. So all of their behavior, all of their actions say it's not adding up why you're still keeping this child in and putting her in a boy's facility and affirming her as a boy and then want to medicalize her body. And so we understand when you look underneath it all, the only thing that makes sense is that these parents, they're very devout Catholic, very, very devout, ministered in the community for a long time. And this child was devoutly Catholic. She was a lector at her church. She served. At her church, she was confirmed early because she was so devout. And now she's saying, I'm no longer Catholic. So it adds up. If it quacks like a duck, it's a duck. And it adds up that underneath it all, these parents are not cooperating with a agenda to transition this, affirm this confusion. That seems very clear. Well, there's a reason this story has gone national and it has horrified a lot of parents. And good luck with this. The proceedings going forward. And I hope you get your daughter back. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much. Thank you, John. We appreciate you. That was Joseph and Arlene Kutzko and their attorney, Bernadette Broyles. And this has been a weekend episode of Morning Wire.

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. Joseph and Arlene Kutzko are fighting to regain custody of their 17-year-old daughter, Sophie, after she identified as a boy, claiming the state refused to recognize her gender identity due to their Catholic beliefs.
  2. The original allegations of child abuse against the parents were dismissed within weeks and are no longer part of the case, but the state continues to withhold contact and restrict parental access.
  3. The Kutzkos argue that the state’s actions—including administering hormone blockers and using vague "neglect" claims—are part of a systemic pattern of legal lawfare and school-to-CPS coordination to suppress parental rights.
  4. The school allegedly initiated counseling sessions to socially transition Sophie without parental knowledge, which the parents believe was a cover for deeper influence and manipulation.
  5. Legal experts and the families say the state is using emotionally manipulative and legally ambiguous grounds to maintain control, rather than addressing genuine concerns about child welfare.
  6. The case has drawn national attention and criticism, with advocates calling it a symbol of rising government overreach in family and religious liberties.
  7. The Kutzkos are seeking both immediate protection from hormone treatment and long-term legal reforms to prevent such systemic abuse in schools and child services.
  8. They emphasize that their refusal to support gender transition is rooted in faith and love, not neglect, and that their daughter’s well-being should be guided by family, not state-mandated medical transitions.

Summary:

Joseph and Arlene Kutzko are fighting to regain custody of their 17-year-old daughter, Sophie, who began identifying as a boy. The couple claims the state of Massachusetts has systematically denied them contact with their daughter, using unfounded allegations of abuse and vague "neglect" claims to justify keeping her in state custody. The original abuse allegations were dismissed within weeks, and the state now cites emotional neglect as a reason for continued separation, despite the parents’ devout Catholic beliefs and their daughter’s prior religious involvement.

The Kutzkos allege a school-to-child services pipeline where counselors initiated transition counseling without parental consent, creating a cover for broader political and ideological influence. They argue that the state is using legal mechanisms to enforce gender transition, not protect the child. The case has gained national attention as a symbol of systemic overreach and the erosion of parental rights.

The Kutzkos are seeking both immediate protection from hormone blockers and nationwide legal reforms to prevent similar actions. Their story highlights concerns about religious freedom, the role of schools in gender identity decisions, and the misuse of child protection laws. The family remains hopeful that public awareness and legal advocacy will lead to a reversal of the state’s actions and a return to family unity.

FAQs

The case is pending in the Worcester Juvenile Court and involves a care and protection claim. The original abuse allegations were dismissed within weeks and are no longer part of the case. The parents are fighting to stop hormone blockers and regain custody.

They believe the state is refusing to recognize their daughter's gender identity due to deeply held Catholic beliefs, and that this has been used as a cover for a broader effort to prevent parental involvement in gender transition decisions.

No, the state has not allowed any contact with their daughter, and legally, they can restrict communication as part of the custody process.

The school, specifically the Algonquin Regional High School, began providing counseling sessions for Sophie in late 2024 to support her social transition. The parents were not informed and believe this was a hidden effort to influence her identity.

Their primary goal is to prevent the administration of hormone blockers to their daughter and to regain full custody, ensuring her safety and returning her to a home where she will be cared for without medical intervention.

Yes, the family and legal counsel believe there is a 'school-to-CPS pipeline' where school officials secretly endorse gender identity changes and later use unverified abuse claims to remove children from parents.

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