The Trump administration announced Thursday that it is investigating allegations that Northborough-Southborough school officials facilitated a student's "social" gender transition without the consent or knowledge of the teen's parents.
The student's parents, Joseph and Arlene Kutzko, claim their child, a former Algonquin Regional High School student, attended after-school counseling sessions supporting a gender transition, according to the Department of Education (DOE). The Kutzkos were not informed of the sessions and were under the impression the student, who is a minor, was receiving extra schooling for a math class.
The Kutzkos also claim that school staff began using a male name and pronouns to refer to the student without the parents' knowledge, federal officials said.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education advises schools to refer to students by their chosen gender identity, and to make a plan with the student regarding when and how to inform their parents of the student's gender identity. This policy has also been supported by federal courts.
A school counselor later reported the Kutzkos to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF), federal officials said.
At the beginning of last year, DCF removed the student from their parents' home, WBUR reported. On Tuesday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey told reporters at an unrelated event that DCF removed the child from their parents' home after criminal charges were filed against the Kutzkos. Healey declined to comment on whether DCF was helping the child transition genders.
Federal officials said the school district's actions may violate FERPA, a federal law that requires parent access and limited control over their children's school records. Federal investigators are also investigating whether the district violated a federal law known as PPRA, which requires schools to obtain written consent from parents before looking into the student or their family regarding sensitive subjects, including mental health and sex behaviors and attitudes.
"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. These egregious allegations are not an isolated problem," DOE Student Privacy Policy Office Director Frank Miller said in a press release.
The school district's response
Northborough-Southborough Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Martineau said in a Thursday statement that the district is aware of the investigation. The district "unequivocally denies" the allegations and stands by the actions of its staff members, Martineau said.
"(The school district) welcomes and will cooperate fully with any authority investigating this matter and appreciates the opportunity to provide a complete factual record surrounding the allegations referenced in media interviews by two individuals whose child formerly attended Algonquin Regional High School," the statement reads.
Martineau previously issued a statement on the matter on Tuesday after the Kutzkos shared their perspective on a Fox News podcast two days prior. The superintendent described the allegations made on the podcast as "not merely baseless, but grossly insensitive, intrusive and dangerous toward the child who was named in the media report."
On the Fox News podcast, the Kutzkos pleaded for the return of their child and said they want to prevent DCF from helping the teen transition genders.
"(The school district) exposed our daughter to teachings on LGTBQ and topics that conflict with our Catholic beliefs about human dignity, creation as male and female in Catholic teaching," Joseph Kutzko said on the podcast.
On Tuesday, Martineau also defended school officials' decision to report the Kutzkos to DCF.
"According to the Commonwealth's own published materials, mandated reporters must make a report to the Department of Children and Families if 'they have reasonable cause to believe that a child under the age of 18 years is suffering from abuse,' and they must notify local law enforcement about injury, abuse or neglect," the statement reads.
Allegations against the Kutzkos in court records
In January 2025, Joseph Kutzko was charged after prosecutors say he punched his then-15-year-old child in the shoulder, pulled his child's hair and threatened to kill his child "for not singing in tune during a birthday celebration," according to court records. He was arrested and pleaded not guilty in Westborough District Court.
Arlene Kutzko was charged with witness intimidation after prosecutors say she pressured her child to "tell the school that she was exaggerating and being stupid" the same month, according to court records.
In December 2025, a judge dismissed the charges against Joseph Kutzko under conditions, including that he attend an anger management class, stay away from his child and abide by a restraining order, court records indicate. Arlene Kutzko's case was also dismissed after she agreed to stay away from her child and abide by a restraining order. The conditions for both parents expire in December.
On the podcast, the Kutzkos' attorney claimed there is no evidence to support allegations that the couple abused their child, and that an "unknown" adult helped the teen file restraining orders against the Kutzkos.
Back Button, or
Back to Family Resources page