Montana parents of an ongoing legal battle with state officials over custody of their daughter slammed the GOP governor over his “word soup” response Wednesday, stating their family unit has been “destroyed.”
Krista and Todd Kolstad appeared on “The Megyn Kelly Show” to discuss the timeline of their legal battle for their 14-year-old daughter, Jennifer, who began to self-identify as a transgender male. The Montana parents detailed their conflicts with Child and Family Services (CFS) since August 2023, after the government organization removed Jennifer from the Kolstad’s care when they refused to support their daughter’s transition. (RELATED: REPORT: Montana Family Accuses Govt Of ‘Kidnapping’ Teen Daughter After They Refused To Affirm Her Gender Transition)
Following the order of events that left the Kolstad’s to the incident with their daughter, Kelly questioned if there was a “gag order” placed on the family noting how they could be “in trouble” for speaking out. Krista stated that while there was an order imposed on them, they felt they had “no choice” but to speak out and “stand up” for families.
“Is there a gag order on you? Because I know you’re in trouble now potentially for speaking out,” Kelly questioned.
“That is correct. Yes, they imposed a gag order. But we’re doing this because we feel like we have no choice. As far as I know, we’re the first family in Montana that this has happened to and because our rights have been so trampled on now we’re at a point where our family unit has been destroyed. The best thing we can do is stand up for other families and get the word out and not allow this to happen to anybody else again,” Krista stated.
Kelly continued to inquire if Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has been “helping” the family in any way, noting the red state and its stance on the “dangers of transitioning children.” Krista stated the family had felt his online “word soup” response didn’t have an impact, emphasizing that it felt as if Gianforte wasn’t “doing anything to protect families.” (RELATED: New Nonprofit Pushes To Get Gender Hormone Therapy FDA Approved Through Clinical Trials)
“What’s happened with the governor? Megyn stated. This is a red state. And, they’ve already recognized the dangers of transitioning children there. So why isn’t this Republican governor helping you?” Kelly questioned.
“He tweeted – I don’t know if you saw his tweet thread. There were like eight tweets and they really were, in my opinion, a bunch of word soup that didn’t say anything. Basically, we’ve never heard from him. I don’t feel like he’s doing anything to protect families and to protect our family,” Krista stated.
Kelly continued to note how Gianforte referred the case to GOP Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras, however, the governor stated that officials concluded the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) had “followed state policy and law.” Gianforte’s response came shortly after the state’s court had ruled that Jennifer would be granted to CFS custody, who plans to place the team with her birth mother in Canada.
Following a call from Jennifer’s school last year, CFS intervened within the Kolstad family, which escalated after the 14-year-old had claimed that she ingested harmful substances. While Jennifer’s claims were later refuted by medical records from hospital tests, an incident regarding Jennifer’s gender identification became a problem for the Kolstad’s.
As the issues amounted following the Montana parents’ refusal to abide by Jennifer’s transgender affirmation, the 14-year-old was taken by CFS and placed into a group home. Jennifer is currently monitored 24/7 due to suicidal ideations and is expected to be placed in Canada with her birth mother, who the Kolstad’s claim is trans affirming.