The Los Angeles Unified School District is facing criticism for a policy that allegedly kept a couple uninformed about their child’s gender identity, a situation that tragically unfolded before the child took their own life. The parents of Dylan Parke, who died by suicide, have filed a lawsuit in federal court in California, claiming the school’s approach created a rift between them and their child.

Dylan, who was navigating the challenges of being a sophomore at Palisades Charter High School during the 2019-2020 academic year, had reportedly confided in school staff about his preference to use she/her pronouns and the name “Aria.” Despite Dylan’s struggles with fitting in and a diagnosis of depression, school officials allegedly did not share this information with his parents, Kathleen Mulligan and Andrew Parke.

The parents claim in their lawsuit that although they were actively involved in Dylan’s life, the school’s decision to withhold such significant information hindered their ability to support him appropriately. This lack of communication, they argue, deepened the divide between them and their child during a critical time.

In response to the situation, Sonja Shaw, a candidate for California State Superintendent, criticized the school’s actions, emphasizing the essential role of parents in their children’s lives. She expressed her condolences to the family, stating, “The government should never replace a parent. This story is heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to this family. No parent should ever experience a loss like this.”

California State Superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw tore into the school’s decision on Sunday, saying “the government should never replace a parent.”

She told the Post: “This story is heartbreaking and my heart goes out to this family. No parent should ever experience a loss like this.

“But it also exposes the dangerous consequences of the policies that leaders like Gavin Newsom and the political cartel in California have been pushing for years.

She said school districts like hers have been attacked for simply believing parents should be told about major issues impacting their kids.

She continued: “This was avoidable. Many of us have been warning that pushing parents out and driving a wedge between children and their families would lead to tragic outcomes like this.”

She added: “This tragedy should be a wake up call for California. Policies that deliberately exclude parents are reckless and dangerous.”

Mulligan assured a school staffer she was “not transphobic” but noted her concerns that Dylan may have been on the autism spectrum, was “easily influenced” and reeling from being left off the baseball team.

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The worried mom voiced “her belief that Dylan was particularly vulnerable to social contagion related to gender identity, as his ‘trans identity’ appeared to provide him with a sense of belonging and validation from peers who were being celebrated for similar disclosures,” she said in the lawsuit.

“If I thought Dylan was really trans I would have a different mindset but I know my son better than anyone and I know he is struggling and I want what is best for him. He has so much potential and I worry about his mental health,” she wrote.

But educators did not answer Mulligan’s message and “further . . . denied them the opportunity to participate in the care of their minor son,” the parents said in the legal filing.

Staff treated Dylan’s transition “as an absolute directive and affirmed and reinforced it enthusiastically and with praise and support,” while also giving him information on housing for LGBTQ youth, according to the lawsuit. It’s unclear if the teen transitioned physically.

The school’s interactions with the teenager allegedly destroyed the Parke family — leaving the parents confused and “walking on eggshells” and Dylan “withdrawn, oppositional, and distrustful.”

Palisades Charter High School listed Dylan in the June 2022 graduation program as “Aria Parke.” He committed suicide in March 2024.