Sage Blair, a Virginia teen whose lawsuit against school officials has drawn national attention, attended President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address as a special guest Tuesday evening.
She was accompanied by her mother, Michelle Blair.Sage’s case centers on allegations that school authorities made decisions affecting her without informing or involving her parents. This matter, which includes claims regarding student welfare, parental rights and gender identity policies in schools, is currently the subject of ongoing litigation.
Who is Sage Blair?
Sage Blair is a student at the center of a legal battle over parental rights and school responsibilities.
Her family filed a lawsuit alleging that school officials failed to inform her mother of important decisions regarding Sage’s gender identity and well-being.According to court filings filed by Blair’s family, the dispute began when Sage was a freshman in high school. The school counselor allegedly spoke to her after a teacher overheard Sage telling a friend that she wanted to be referred to with a male name and pronouns.
The lawsuit alleges that the counselor spoke with Sage, who she said she recognized as a boy, before contacting her family, according to Newsweek. In their 2023 legal brief, Blair’s lawyers alleged that the counselor allowed Sage to use a male name and pronouns at school and told her she could use the boys’ restroom. They also allege that the counselor agreed to use Sage’s first name and feminine pronouns when speaking to her mother, while using a different name and pronouns at school.The lawsuit also alleges that Michelle Blair was not informed of reports of bullying and sexual harassment of male classmates.According to court filings filed by the family, Sage suffered a mental health crisis and ran away from home after her mother learned she was using the boys’ bathroom. The lawsuit alleges that during this period she was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and trafficked across state lines, leaving her severely traumatized.After Sage was located, the complaint states, the school counselor testified in court about Michelle Blair’s lack of support for her daughter’s affirmed gender identity. The family claims Michelle did not learn of the situation until shortly before Sage fled. Court documents state that Sage was separated from her mother for several months after the incident.Lawyers representing the school counselor denied the allegations.
In the response filed with the court, they said the plaintiffs did not identify any legal authority that would require the counselor to inform Michelle Blair of Sage’s decision to identify as male.They also assert that the complaint does not establish an actual connection between the advisor’s actions and the harm Sage subsequently suffered. The defense maintains that the alleged damages were not caused by Sage’s interactions with the counselor, according to Newsweek. The case has become part of a broader national debate about parental rights, school policies and gender identity issues.White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt shared a report on social media ahead of the speech, highlighting that Sage Blair would be among the president’s guests.President Trump previously signed an executive order stating that gender identity cannot replace biological sex under federal policy, an issue that ties into the broader political context surrounding Sage’s case.
