CPRC’s Historic Title IX Victory: Holding Schools Accountable for Student Safety
On August 7, 2025, the Child & Parental Rights Campaign (CPRC) achieved a landmark victory in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, setting a powerful precedent for protecting students and upholding parental rights under Title IX. This groundbreaking ruling (USCA4 Appeal: 24-1682) is believed to be the first of its kind, holding the Appomattox County School Board accountable for failing to protect a 14-year-old girl, S.B., from severe sexual harassment, threats, and assault when they took steps to treat her as a male without her parents’ knowledge. This victory is a monumental step forward in ensuring schools prioritize student safety and involve parents in critical decisions affecting their children.
A Case of Courage and Accountability
In 2021, S.B., a petite freshman at Appomattox County High School with a documented history of mental health challenges, including gender dysphoria, faced unimaginable harassment. After a school counselor, Dena Olsen, asked S.B. if she identified as a boy and instructed her to use the boys’ restroom without notifying her mother, Michele Blair, S.B. endured relentless bullying, threats of sexual violence, and physical assault by male peers. The harassment began on a school bus, where boys threatened to sodomize her, hold her out the bus window, and shoot her, even claiming they knew where she lived.
Despite these reports being confirmed by other students, the school took no action against the perpetrators.
Instead, S.B. faced further trauma when Olsen and a sheriff’s deputy interrogated her, accusing her of lying about the assaults and warning her of potential lawsuits from the boys’ parents. The harassment continued in hallways and restrooms, with male students shoving S.B. against walls and threatening her with knife violence and rape. Only after other parents reported incidents in the boys’ restroom did the school direct S.B. to use the nurse’s restroom, but this was too little, too late. Michele Blair was kept in the dark about her daughter’s dissociation from her sex and the harassment until S.B., overwhelmed by fear, suffered a psychotic breakdown, ran away from home, and fell victim to sex traffickers.
The Historic Ruling
CPRC, represented by lead attorney Mary Elizabeth McAlister, challenged the Appomattox County School Board, Superintendent Annette Bennett, and counselors Dena Olsen and Avery Via in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. The lawsuit alleged violations of Michele Blair’s fundamental constitutional right to direct S.B.’s upbringing, the familial privacy rights of both Michele and S.B., and deliberate indifference to sexual harassment under Title IX. CPRC appealed the dismissal of the case to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
On May 6, 2025, McAlister argued the case before a three-judge panel. In their August 7, 2025, decision, the panel ruled that the district court erred in dismissing the Title IX claim. The court found that the school’s response—or lack thereof—was “clearly unreasonable,” constituting deliberate indifference. The majority opinion, penned by Judge Gregory, stated:
“There is no indication that Appomattox County School Board took any action against the boys on the bus who threatened her with sexual violence… or the group of male students who ‘jacked’ S.B. up against the wall and ‘threatened her with violence.’… [T]he Appomattox County School Board did not take ‘reasonably calculated’ efforts to end the harassment S.B. endured.”
The court remanded the Title IX claim to the district court for further proceedings, offering S.B. and Michele a path to justice. While the court upheld the dismissal of the parental rights and familial privacy claims, CPRC remains committed to exploring all avenues to strengthen these protections in the future.
Why This Matters
This historic ruling is a beacon of hope for students and parents nationwide. It sends a clear message: schools must act decisively to stop sex-based harassment and cannot exclude parents from decisions impacting their children’s safety and well-being—including the decision to be treated as the opposite sex. For S.B., a vulnerable student with known mental health struggles, the school’s inaction led to devastating consequences. CPRC’s victory ensures that Title IX serves as a shield for students, demanding accountability from schools that fail to protect them.
“This is a triumph for every child who deserves a safe school environment and every parent who expects to be kept informed,” said Vernadette Broyles, President and General Counsel of CPRC. “No student should face harassment or assault while school officials stand by. We’re proud to lead this fight for justice.”
Mary Elizabeth McAlister, CPRC’s lead attorney, added, “This ruling is a wake-up call for schools to prioritize student safety and parental involvement over secrecy or ideology. We will continue seeking justice for S.B. and Michele as this case moves forward.”
Our Commitment
At CPRC, we are dedicated to securing the rights of parents, protecting the well-being of children, and defending the privacy, safety and equal opportunities of girls and women from the harms of gender ideology. This victory is a testament to our mission, but the fight continues. We call on school districts across the country to strengthen Title IX compliance, ensuring prompt action against harassment and transparency with parents.
How You Can Help
Your support fuels our mission to protect children and empower parents. Here’s how you can join us:
- Donate: Fund our legal battles and advocacy efforts to create lasting change. Donate Now
- Share: Spread the word about this historic victory on social media to amplify our impact. Use #TitleIX and #ProtectKids.
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- Get Involved: Join our community of advocates to support policies that prioritize student safety and parental rights. Sign Up
Together, we can ensure schools are safe havens for students and that parents remain the primary authorities in their children’s lives. Thank you for standing with CPRC in this historic moment.