Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office launched an investigation into The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough in Massachusetts to determine whether the school district violated the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act after reports that school officials allegedly facilitated the “gender transition” of a minor student without parents’ knowledge or consent.
According to the student’s parents, school personnel at Algonquin Regional High School helped facilitate their daughter’s so-called “social transition” to a boy without informing them. The parents claim that their daughter participated in counseling sessions after school to support the transition while they were under the impression she was receiving academic assistance for her math class.
The parents further allege that school personnel began referring to their daughter by a male name and pronouns without their knowledge and that a school counselor later reported the family to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, allegedly for counteracting the school’s efforts to “transition” their child. DCF subsequently removed the child from the family’s home in December 2024. The family is currently engaged in litigation concerning custody of their daughter.
These allegations raise serious questions regarding whether the school district complied with federal laws protecting parents’ rights. FERPA requires schools to allow parents to access their children’s education records, make changes to those records, and provide a hearing if the school rejects the changes. PPRA requires schools to receive written consent from parents if they plan to conduct any evaluation, survey, or analysis on students regarding their or their family’s mental health, sex behaviors and attitudes, religious beliefs or any other invasive sensitive subjects outlined in the statute. It is currently unclear whether the school and the district complied with these federal statutes, and SPPO will investigate to determine whether there has been a violation under FERPA and/or PPRA.
“Parents have a right to know what is happening with their children at school, particularly when it concerns deeply personal matters involving their health and well-being,” said Frank Miller, Director of the Student Privacy Policy Office. “These egregious allegations are not an isolated problem. Families deserve answers and SPPO will thoroughly investigate reports like this and hold any educational institution that violates federal law accountable.”
According to WBUR, In January 2025, the child’s father, Joseph Kutzko, was accused of punching and threatening his then-15-year-old child at their home, including pulling the child’s hair and later threatening to kill them. He was arrested the next day and pleaded not guilty. A judge noted three prior restraining orders against him, including one that is permanent. The child’s mother, Arlene Kutzko, was charged with witness intimidation for allegedly pressuring the child to recant. In December 2025, a judge agreed to dismiss Joseph’s charges if he completed conditions such as anger management, staying away from the child, and following a restraining order. Arlene also agreed to stay away from the child and follow a restraining order. Those conditions remain in place until December 2026. DCF declined to discuss the case beyond saying lack of support for a gender transition would not by itself justify removing a child from a home.
