A nightmare being lived by two Christian parents from Indiana has reached the Supreme Court of the United States. Mary and Jeremy Cox appealed to the nation's highest court to reverse an Indiana court order that took custody of their son away from them. The reason was that parents referred to their child by his biological gender.
The litigation between the state of Indiana and the Coxes dates back to 2021,the first time the government intervened in the life of this Christian family after the parents were the target of an anonymous complaint because they refused to call their son by his preferred pronouns.
Under suspicion of verbally abusing their son, the state of Indiana and its agencies launched their LGBTQ protocol for transgender children, which resulted in the Coxes' custody of their son being removed and the minor being sent to a center.
An Indiana couple, Mary and Jeremy Cox, is appealing to the Supreme Court after their child was removed from their custody by the Indiana Department of Child Services for their refusal to use the child's preferred pronouns, as the child identifies as a girl.
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The situation lasted several months, during which state officials only allowed the Coxes to see their son a few times a week. Indiana officials also accused the family of fostering an eating disorder in the child. The Coxes' lawyers assure, however, that the family was aware of the minor's problem and that they sought professional help. In fact, the minor's behavioral problems have only worsened since the state of Indiana took him away from his parents.
The court relied on Indiana's argument to keep the child out of his parents' custody, reasoning that the Coxes' First Amendment rights did not apply to private expression in the home. An appeals court confirmed the ruling. The situation remained like this for two years, until today.
The Coxes appeal to the Supreme Court
With their son in a home with the goal of facilitating a "transition," Mary and Jeremy Cox decided to take their case to the highest court in the land. Through the law firm Becket, this February they registered a petition asking the Supreme Court to review the decision of the Indiana court that is keeping them away from their son.
"The Coxes fear that Indiana could remove their other children from their home, and that other loving parents throughout the nation may lose custody of their children because of their religious beliefs," Becket stated in its news release.
In Indiana, courts go against Republicans
The Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly is facing a federal court block to implement legislation that bans medical treatments for gender transition in minors. The law, which was signed by Republican Governor Eric Holcomb, was blocked in the courts in the summer of 2023, just weeks from being implemented. This block came due to a complaint from the association of progressive lawyers, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
