We saw this tweet a couple of days ago but held off due to the "allegedly" component. Reduxx reported that Montana removed a teen from her home and sent her to Wyoming for gender-affirming care.
A Montana family is alleging that the state government forcibly seized their daughter and sent her to Wyoming for medical gender transition. If the story checks out, it's shocking: the state is forcibly transing a child—not in California, but in Montana.https://t.co/epIOjQ4KLO
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) January 29, 2024
NBC Montana has weighed in and reports:
Republican Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte told The National Desk (TND) Monday state officials acted within their legal limitations by removing a child from parents who objected to their transitioning gender identity.
Montana Child and Family Services (CFS) officials took custody of the 14-year-old from parents Krista and Todd Kolstad this month, according to Reduxx. The teenager is reportedly a biological female and recently began to express suicidal thoughts.
While being treated at a hospital in August, doctors began using the child's preferred name and pronouns, which do not correspond with the child's biological sex, according to Reduxx. The parents reportedly opposed and noted allowing their child to undergo any form of gender transition, socially or medically, was a violation of their "values, morals, and ... religious beliefs."
Doctors reportedly later moved the 14-year-old to a specialized residential treatment facility in Wyoming despite the parents preferring a facility in Billings, Montana. Krista and Todd claim they were given no information as to their child’s well-being or treatment during that time, according to Reduxx.
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So, basically, local news is getting its news from Reduxx as well. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte posted a thread that was deliberately vague but seemed to confirm the story:
To give them their best shot at reaching their full potential, children deserve to grow up in happy, healthy homes with loving families. Sadly, this ideal is not always realized. 1/8
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) January 29, 2024
Unfortunately, our society finds children whose life, health, and wellbeing are at serious risk from abuse and neglect, and only as a last resort, should they be removed from their home. 2/8
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) January 29, 2024
Upon hearing recent allegations related to a child welfare case, I asked Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras – an experienced attorney, constitutional conservative, mother, and grandmother – to review it. 3/8
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) January 29, 2024
Consulting with the director of DPHHS and personally examining case documents, Lieutenant Governor Juras has concluded that DPHHS and the court have followed state policy and law in their handling of this tragic case. 4/8
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) January 29, 2024
I have asked the lieutenant governor to continue monitoring the case as it progresses. 5/8
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) January 29, 2024
Further, Senate Bill 99, which I signed into law in April 2023, prohibits medical and surgical treatments to treat minors with gender dysphoria and also prohibits the use of taxpayer resources for such treatments. 6/8
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) January 29, 2024
Our administration will continue to advance policies that strengthen our families and protect Montana kids,... 7/8
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) January 29, 2024
...like what we have done to promote adoption and to ban permanent, invasive, life-altering medical procedures on children, like puberty blockers, hormonal treatments, and sex-reassignment surgeries. 8/8
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) January 29, 2024
So what we're hearing is that Gianforte signed legislation banning "gender-affirming care" for minors in Montana, and then had Childhood Protective Services take the child away from her family and ship her to Wyoming, where it's legal.
This is a very lengthy and lawyered nondenial denial. I take it, then, that the original narrative is accurate. https://t.co/7osaMyxIW4
— Randy Barnett (@RandyEBarnett) January 30, 2024
This is insufficient. If Montana state employees forcibly removed a child from her parents, placed her in medical custody, and then facilitated her migration out of state for a child sex-change procedure, those employees should be investigated and punished under law. https://t.co/xjXHTmF0P4
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) January 29, 2024
Montana is a Trump +16 state. The legislature is controlled by a Republican supermajority. It should be simple, @GovGianforte: the state will not forcibly seize a child and send her, against her parents' wishes, for an out-of-state child sex-change procedure. Red line.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) January 29, 2024
If the reported allegations are wrong, the governor should say so clearly—following the allegations from the child's parents, the public has a right to know whether or not they are disputed by the state.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) January 29, 2024
He didn't explain much in those eight tweets. He also hasn't called out Reduxx for posting fake news. The best he could do was say that sadly, some children don't grow up in happy, healthy homes with loving families.
Incredible that you managed to do a full investigation of the ENTIRE case in just a matter of HOURS! Also why did you veto House Bill 37 which would’ve required Child Protective Services to obtain a judicial warrant before removing children from their homes? pic.twitter.com/wZDWHtuj5Z
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 30, 2024
A lot of equivocation going on in his statement.
— Mocking SF Values (@Mockingsfvalues) January 29, 2024
Since the state employees took the child out of state, the FBI has standing to make arrests for kidnapping and other charges.
— Gary Goldstein (@GaryGol88424403) January 30, 2024
To the fullest extent of the law.
— Albert Latham (@albert1776) January 29, 2024
This means information that is critical to the case is not available for public release, but would likely change public opinion to a degree. Keep in mind if things were exactly as they were, he could easily order them to stop it & return the child.
— EV_Trapper (@EV_Trapper) January 29, 2024
This doesn’t add up
— Dr.Carol X Lunz PhD She/Him,GED Alumni,POC-Ally (@marinasmigielsk) January 30, 2024
The Montana DPHHS has a lawsuit coming from me. They need to learn about boundaries.
— Keith Benson (@PhysicsRspctr) January 30, 2024
I shouldn't be astonished, but I am.
— VictorWarrens (@VictorWarrens) January 30, 2024
I work for CPS. Never. Ever. Would my state do this.
— Judy ZP (@JudyZP) January 30, 2024
Sounds like they kidnapped a child and trafficked them across state lines. FBI should investigate.
— Patriot Crusader (@crusader930) January 30, 2024
They call this a “child welfare” case and act as if life saving treatment was behind withheld. No, they just took a healthy child and gave them irreversible puberty blockers that aren’t “FDA approved”.
— Stile (@SplitInfinity99) January 30, 2024
This would have been a fatal mistake by the state had this involved my child.
— DavidWillis (@DeadThreads01) January 30, 2024
I would not attempt to remedy this through the courts.
So Gianforte remained astonishingly vague but somehow felt compelled to address the situation publicly on social media after the Reduxx story came out.
NBC Montana reports:
In September, the 14-year-old was returned to Montana and placed in a group home, according to Reduxx. After four months, Krista and Todd [Kolstad] were reportedly notified that custody was being granted to CFS and the agency would be allowing the child's birth mother in Canada to ultimately assume care.
Again, this still falls under the "alleged" banner, but the fact that Gianforte posted about the case now seems odd.
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