Mother Challenges State's Law On Emancipation of Minors

In a suit filed earlier this week in a Minnesota federal district court, the mother of a 17-year old challenges the Minnesota statute that allows minors who are living separate and apart from their parents or legal guardians and who are managing their own financial affairs to alone consent to their own personal medical, dental, mental and other health services.  The complaint (full text) in Calgaro v. St. Louis County, (D MN, filed 11/16/2016), challenges the furnishing of medical treatment to the 17-year old-- including furnishing prescription drugs and clinical treatment for gender transition from male to female. The complaint also challenges a determination by the minor's school district of emancipation so that the mother is not entitled to the teen's school records or to participate in the minor's educational decisions.  Plaintiff claims that, because there is no procedure for the parent to challenge the determination of emancipation that was made without court order, this deprives her without due process of her parental rights to make decisions on the care of her child. Thomas More Society announced the filing of the lawsuit. NBC News reports on the litigation.