Media Release: “Jane Doe” Sues RIDE after Secretly Transitioned Daughter’s Suicide Attempt

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Providence, RI – Last evening, the Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity filed a complaint in Rhode Island Superior Court against Angelica Infante-Green in her capacity as Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Education, seeking to strike down the Commissioner’s 2018 Regulation 200-RICR-30-10-1, dealing with gender identity.

The complaint also includes a motion for a preliminary injunction, petitioning the Court to immediately “bar enforcement” of the regulation.

On February 13, the Law Centre filed a legal letter requesting RIDE to repeal the regulation, claiming it “has no basis in state law and is contrary to federal law.” A subsequent letter from RIDE denied the request. Yesterday’s Superior Court filing is the prescribed next step in the appeals process.

The complaint lists “Jane Doe” as plaintiff, whose tragic story can only be attributed to the misguided policies and egregious actions of her daughter’s public school district, which were based on the RIDE regulation in question as well as RIDE’s guidance on trans-gender issues.

According to the complaint, “Unknown to Plaintiff, her daughter (as an 8th-grader) began to socially transition to a boy at school, with the help of school personnel.”

Because of RIDE’s guidance and polices, the complaint further states that “school personnel felt emboldened and compelled to encourage the daughter’s social transition, and to hide this fact from Plaintiff.”

Two years later, in the spring of 2024, as a 10th grader, the daughter attempted to commit suicide. Only then did the mother, Jane Doe, learn of her child’s multi-year transition.

“It can no longer be denied that these non-science based transgender policies have caused actual harm to actual people,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “Our attorneys have blown away the argument that aiding in a minor’s transition is somehow beneficial to students and their families.”

The school district continues to keep secrets from Plaintiff, as it has subsequently refused to turn over the medical records of the daughter, a minor, despite an official release signed by her mother and legal guardian. A separate complaint was filed this past Friday with RIDE seeking the records that the daughter’s mother is legally entitled to.

According to the Superior Court complaint, “Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer harm,” as a direct result of the Commissioner of Education’s interpretation and enactment of RIDE’s regulations and guidance.

Further details of Plaintiff’s story are expected to be publicized in the coming days, including how she lost her school district job as a result of her daughter’s secret transition.

There are two primary legal arguments detailed in the Superior Court complaint. First, that RIDE purposefully miscited state law to justify its 2018 regulation, therefore “there is no (state) statutory basis” for it. Second, that current RIDE and school district policies regarding trans-gender students is a violation of current federal law and Title IX regulations.

The complaint was filed by attorney Gregory Piccirilli, who is a member of the Law Centre sub-committee of the Board of Directors for the RI Center for Freedom of Prosperity. He, along with sub-committee chair, Giovanni Cicione, and fellow member, attorney Susan McGee Cienki, are available for media interviews, upon request.

The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity just participated in a virtual press conference, along with other regional and national think tanks, to call for an extension of the 2017 federal tax reforms that gave every American a tax cut.

MEDIA RELEASE: Failure to Extend Trump Tax Cuts Could Plunge Ocean State Into Recession

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Providence, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity just participated in a virtual press conference, along with other regional and national think tanks, to call for an extension of the 2017 federal tax reforms that gave every American a tax cut.

“As if our state government’s economic assault on RI Families is not bad enough – policies that have led to ever-increasing local inflation, with some of the highest energy prices and property tax rates in all of America – and with government plans to increase these costs even more … as if that wasn’t enough … Rhode Island’s federal delegation – our two US Senators and two House Representatives – are continuing that assault by now threatening to impose higher income taxes on us all,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center.

As America enjoys the early stages of a small business hiring boom, Rhode Island suffers from economic indicators that are once again signaling trouble – an increased unemployment rate and weaknesses in our state’s manufacturing sector.

“Failure to renew the 2017 Trump tax cuts would lead to major tax increases for every Ocean State family and business – tax hikes our state cannot afford – tax hikes that could push our already floundering state over the cliff and into a local recession,” concluded Stenhouse.

Inflation alone has cost the average RI family almost $24,000 cumulatively, over the past 4 years. If these job-producing, budget-saving federal tax cuts are not extended … again, the average RI family will suffer a heavy burden – over $2300 in additional annual income taxes, while our state’s 27,000 businesses, employing about 350,000 people, will also pay thousands in new business taxes … all ultimately costing our state a loss of about 3000 jobs.

As produced by Americans For Prosperity, a detailed analysis of the positive benefits of the Trump tax cuts for Rhode Island can be found here: AFP-Rhode-Island-Facing-the-Fiscal-Cliff by Americans For Prosperity . Visit protectprosperity.org to see how much the TCJA has saved families in each state.

This regional call on Congress to prioritize permanent extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is supported by AFP’s “Protect Prosperity ” campaign, which demonstrates how extending the TCJA would allow families keep more of their hard-earned money, boost small businesses, and get our country back on the path to prosperity.

Also participating in the press conference were Greg Moore, Americans For Prosperity Regional Director; Ross Connolly, AFP Northeast Region Director; Dennis Hull, State Affairs Manager at Americans for Tax Reform; Drew Cline, President of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy (NH); Harris Van Pate, Policy Analyst at the Maine Policy Institute; Paul Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance; and Andrew Fowler, Communications Specialist at Yankee Institute (CT).

In a major victory for advocates seeking to protect women's K-12 sports in the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL), under threat of legal action and public pressure, has radically altered its rules and regulations that allow biological boys to compete in girls' K-12 sports.

Major Victory For Rhode Island Advocates Seeking To Protect Women’s K-12 Sports

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Cranston, RI – In a major victory for advocates seeking to protect women’s K-12 sports in the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL), under threat of legal action and public pressure, has radically altered its rules and regulations that allow biological boys to compete in girls’ K-12 sports.

The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity has obtained a March 14 email from RIIL Executive Director, Michael Lunney, sent to all member school principals and athletic directors, advising them of revised guidance and a near complete re-write of its Article 3 Section 3 “gender eligibility” regulations.

While RIIL’s revised policies still allow schools to determine the gender of students wishing to compete in RIIL-sanctioned competitions, the pro-trans-gender regulation has been dramatically weakened and no longer provides legal cover for schools. The revised regulation now shifts legal responsibility to schools, requiring that they determine how to comply with state and federal law in this regard, putting individual schools and school districts at even greater legal peril.

“While we welcome this important step, RIIL still has not completely protected girls’s sports and the safety of female athletes,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “This clever legal maneuver is not enough. Ultimately, RIIL needs to completely prohibit biological boys from ever being able to compete in girls’ sports.”

In addition to ongoing public pressure from crusaders like Robert Chiaradio, an open letter from former prominent Rhode Island student athletes, persistent social media posts, and over 200 petition signers of petition offered by our Center … perhaps the final pressure-items was a federal civil rights complaint filed by our Center’s “Law Centre” naming RIIL (as well as the RI AG, RIDE, and six school districts) as respondents deserving of an Office of Civil Rights investigation for violations of Title IX and federal law. A full chronology of related actions can be found at RIFreedom.org/titleix.

Noting such “significant attention and focus” on the issue, Lunney’s email confirmed that the Principals Committee on Athletics voted and approved the revisions. Article 3, Section 3B-1 (Determination of Gender Based Eligibility) was reduced from a full page to a single paragraph: “1) The RIIL recognizes the value of participation in interscholastic sports for all member-school student athletes. Member schools are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable state and federal law when determining gender-based eligibility for participation. Per Article 2, Section 3B, “proof of and maintenance of eligibility is the exclusive and continuing obligation of the member Principal.”

Expunged from the rules are the gratuitous statements that recognized the rights of students to compete according to their preferred gender identity, as well as instructions for schools on how they might recognize that a biological boy would be allowed to compete in RIIL girls’ sports.

Lunney’s email concludes by stating, “Moving forward, in order to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, it is our recommendation that member schools consult with their legal counsel when making eligibility determinations for participation.”

NOTE: The Center will reach out to Mr. Lunney for additional comment and will provide appropriate updates.

Rhode Island Interscholastic League

Media Release: Complaint Filed with Office of Civil Rights to Investigate Title IX Violations in Rhode Island

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Providence, RI – The Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity filed an official complaint with the Office for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education last evening, calling for an investigation into alleged Title IX violations by nine named state actors.

Referring to President Trump’s recent Executive Order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” and a related US DOE “Dear Colleague” letter to K-12 schools advising of planned enforcement of the Trump Administration’s 2020 Title IX rule, the complaint letter named the following entities:

  • RI Commissioner of Eduction, Angelica Infante-Green
  • The RI Interscholastic League
  • RI Attorney General, Peter Neronha
  • Six RI School Districts: Barrington, Chariho, Cumberland, East Greenwich, North Kingstown, and Providence

Each of the named entities has been notified separately of the complaint, which can be viewed in-full, here.

Attorney Gregory Piccirilli, advisor to the Law Centre, crafted the complaint, which includes a letter and 14 exhibits detailing prior communications with RIDE, RIDE Regulations and Guidance, RIIL Rules, and the trans-gender policies of the six school districts.

The 16-page letter, in part, cited the February 28 letter to RI school districts by Attorney General Peter Neronha, which questioned the legality and enforceability of the above cited federal actions and essentially advising state education entities to maintain their existing trans-gender policies.

The Law Centre believes such an approach puts every school district at severe risk of loss of federal funding, discrimination lawsuits, or further OCR investigations.

To avoid legal and financial consequences, the Center recommends that RIDE, RIIL, and every school district in the State should rescind their existing trans-gender policies, if they defy the new federal law, and to craft their own policies that comply with both state and federal statutes.

Piccirilli is a member of the Law Centre sub-committee of the Board of Directors for the RI Center for Freedom of Prosperity. He, along with sub-committee chair, Giovanni D. Cicione, and fellow member, attorney Suzanne McGee Cienki, are available for media interviews, upon request.

The Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today published a legal letter and filed an official request with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) requesting that it repeal its 2018 Transgender Regulation.

Center Requests RIDE to Repeal Its Transgender Regulation

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Regulation Has No Basis in State Law, Violates Federal Law

Response Submitted To RIDE on February 14, 2025 following Projo Article

Click here for the February 28, 20205 letter from the Rhode Island Attorney General essentially urging Local Education Agencies, School Administrators and Educators to ignore federal law

The Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today published a legal letter and filed an official request with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) requesting that it repeal its 2018 Transgender Regulation.

As was detailed in the letter, “… this regulation has no basis in state law and is contrary to federal law and guidelines. As such, the Rhode Island Department of Education has placed itself and every member school district in this State at risk of civil rights violations, which are likely lead to investigations by the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, loss of federal funding, and/or discrimination lawsuits from aggrieved individuals.”

RIDE’s 2018 Regulation required each school district or LEA (Local Education Agency) to “adopt a policy addressing the rights of trans-gender and gender non-conforming students … ”

However, it appears that RIDE purposefully manipulated and dishonestly cited language from state law in justifying its Regulation by including “gender” and “sexual orientation” phrases that do not exist in the statute.

Attorney Gregory Piccirilli, advisor to the Law Centre who crafted the letter, this morning filed a formal petition with RIDE to request repeal Board of Education Regulation 200-RICR-30-10-1.

To avoid legal and financial consequences, the Center recommends that both RIDE and every school district in the State should rescind their existing transgender policies, if they were based on RIDE’s illegitimate Regulation and guidance, and to craft their own policies that comply with actual state and federal law.

Piccirilli is a member of the Law Centre sub-committee of the Board of Directors for the RI Center for Freedom of Prosperity. He, along with sub-committee chair, Giovanni Cicione, and fellow member, attorney Sue Cienki, are available for media interviews, upon request.

The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity celebrates recent federal actions supporting parental rights, student safety, and common sense. As part of the national Save Title IX network, the Center has long opposed controversial gender policies.

Death Knell Sounds on the Title IX Transgender Movement

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Providence, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity celebrates recent federal action in support of parental rights, student safety, and common sense; causes the Center has championed for multiple years.

“Our Center is proud to be part of the national Save Title IX network and to have played a significant role in raising awareness in our state about many of the controversial woke policies that are dividing our communities,” said Mike Stenhouse, CEO.

Following a 2021 Biden Executive Order (1), the trans-gender movement took root and spread across the United States. The Department of Education set out to draft a new Title IX regulation that would set into law the controversial notion of “gender identity.”

Public opposition to the plan soon arose (2). Specific areas of concern included gender transitioning of minors, campus due process, pronoun mandates and free speech, parental rights, and women’s sports (3).

In response, the Title IX Network was established, eventually consisting of 240 national, state, and local organizations that were united in their opposition to the proposed regulation (4). Dozens of members of Congress, state governors, and state attorneys general spoke out against to the proposal, as well (5). Some even called for the abolition of the Department of Education (6).

One hundred state lawmakers from 32 states signed a pledge to “protect schools, children, and families from the Biden Title IX rule” (7). Senator Elaine Morgan was the only Ocean State lawmaker to sign on.

Numerous states enacted policies designed to thwart the trans-gender movement. For example, 25 states passed laws banning the participation of men from women’s sports (8). SAVE also established a Citizen Watchdog Program designed to monitor schools at the local level (9).

Despite fierce opposition, on April 19, 2024 the Department of Education issued its Title IX regulation that changed the definition of sex to include “gender identity” and removed key due process protections for the falsely accused (10). Within weeks, nine lawsuits opposing the regulation had been filed (11).

The following developments signaled the demise of the Title IX trans-gender movement:

  1. August 16, 2024: All nine Supreme Court justices issued a ruling that expressed their unanimous opposition to the Biden plan to redefine sex to include “gender identity.” (12)
  2. December 20: The U.S. Department of Education formally withdrew the plan to enact its controversial Title IX sports rule (13).
  3. January 9, 2025: Federal judge Danny Reeves issued a decision that struck down, across the nation, the Biden Title IX regulation (14). The Department of Education did not seek to appeal the historic ruling.
  4. January 20: President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order stating, “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female.  These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” (15)

Marxist Shulamith Firestone once declared, The goal of the feminist revolution must be the elimination of the “sex distinction itself: genital differences between human beings would no longer matter culturally…The tyranny of the biological family would be broken.” (16)

Once again, the illogic of Marxist ideology has been revealed.

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Links:

  1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-preventing-and-combating-discrimination-on-basis-of-gender-identity-or-sexual-orientation/
  2. https://www.saveservices.org/2024/02/public-opinion-polls-reveal-growing-public-opposition-to-policies-driven-by-gender-agenda/
  3. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/network/
  4. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-Policy/
  5. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/lawmakers/
  6. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/abolish-doe/
  7. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/lawmakers/pledge/
  8. https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans
  9. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/network/
  10. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/29/2024-07915/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-sex-in-education-programs-or-activities-receiving-federal
  11. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/abolish-doe/
  12. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/24a78_f2ah.pdf
  13. https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-30921.pdf
  14. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801.143.0_1.pdf
  15. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/
  16. https://www.marxists.org/subject/women/authors/firestone-shulamith/dialectic-sex.htm

 

Media Release: Center Publishes “Assault On Ocean State Families” Report

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Center Publishes New Report: “Government’s Assault On RI Families”

Cranston, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity today published its “Government’s Assault On Ocean State Families” report. The report, which lays out a comprehensive and well-documented narrative, describes how our own state government has made it more difficult for working-class families to achieve the American Dream.
Describing “tidal wave after tidal wave” of misguided policies in recent decades that have weakened the security and financial well-being of families, the report’s logo depicts an Ocean State family about to be crushed by a giant wave. The entire narrative can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/Families


“Rhode Island families are disillusioned with state and local government, which continually hands out special favors to special interests, while working families and small businesses are forced to bear the burden,” said Mike Stenhouse, the Center’s CEO. “As most Rhode Islanders understand, this all-of-government corruption threatens the current and future security and prosperity of our families and young people. It’s time to restore policies that support traditional family needs, love of country, and trust in God.”

Rhode Island’s agenda-driven government is assaulting families across multiple fronts:

  • Economically: soaring local cost-of-living (inflation) and high taxes stress family budgets to the limit
  • Educationally: politicized curricula lead to failing student achievement
  • Culturally: divisive and radical theories are turning our society upside down
  • Religiously: intolerance for God, Christians, and Jews is fueling hate and restricting religious freedom
  • Emotionally: the bombardment of inappropriate content is increasing mental health issues among youth
  • Physically: crime, drugs, and progressive policies put family member at risk of bodily harm
  • Patriotically: animosity towards America is creating enemies within

The report’s over-arching theme and each of its top-line messaging points are supported by detailed discussion and citations, often providing recommended solutions and policy ideas.

The Center believes that state lawmakers and bureaucrats have such a myopic focus on appeasing various insider cronies and special interests, that they lose sight of the broader goal of government … to preserve and advance the current and future rights, well-being, and safety of all state residents.

One compelling solution put forth by the Center is for voters to choose to bypass the traditional three branches of government by voting to “Approve” the November ballot measure regarding a statewide Constitutional Convention, which the Center refers to as a People’s Convention and the “4th Branch of Government.” #4thBranchRI
The Center encourages lawmakers, candidates for public office, policy advocates, and all concerned citizens to regularly propagate these messaging themes, and to utilize some of the more detailed discussion and information as appropriate.

“It’s vital that Rhode Islanders, who believe major reforms are necessary, rally behind this reality-based narrative,” added Stenhouse. “We have done the research, studied the public surveys, and believe this narrative best captures and describes the wreckage that our government has inflicted upon families.”
A resources “action” page, with images and social media links, is available to the public at RIFreedom.org/Families-action.

Stenhouse has also published multiple related pieces of video commentary on the Center’s “news and views” website The Ocean State Current. More pieces are expected to be added over time.

The Government’s Assault on RI Families report is a living document that will be expanded and further sourced in the coming months and years. The report also serves as a compendium of much of the Center’s research, analysis, policy recommendations, and perspectives since its founding in 2011.