Washington parent sues district over forced LGBTQ lessons for 5th grader

Konstantin Averkiev sued Lake Washington School District after his 10-year-old son was exposed to a Pride Month presentation that, according to the complaint, covered same-sex attraction, transgender identity and gender-change surgery. Averkiev had previously asked the teacher at Henry David Thoreau Elementary for advance notice and an opt-out from any LGBTQ content, a request the teacher reportedly acknowledged. When the lesson proceeded, the district rejected nearly all of Averkiev’s subsequent opt-out requests, granting only those required by state law for sex-education and health surveys.

Alliance Defending Freedom is handling the case, asserting that the school’s curriculum infringes on the father’s First and Fourteenth Amendment protections. The district declined comment but said it follows applicable federal and state regulations. Averkiev maintains that parents should control what their children learn about sex and gender in public schools.