SOUTHBOOUGH, Mass. — A devout Catholic couple from Massachusetts is fighting in court to regain custody of their 17-year-old daughter and prevent the state from administering high-dose testosterone, according to interviews with the family and their attorney.

Joseph and Arlene Kutzko say the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) removed their daughter Sophie from their home in December 2024, when she was 15. They allege the action followed their refusal to affirm her as a boy, citing their Catholic faith. The family claims staff at Algonquin Regional High School in Southborough socially transitioned Sophie—using a male name and pronouns—without their knowledge or consent. They further allege a school counselor reported them to DCF after they objected.

Physical abuse claims against Joseph Kutzko were later deemed unfounded, the family and reports state. However, a permanent restraining order was issued against the parents and Sophie’s older brother. DCF assumed guardianship, and contact was cut off after the Kutzkos declined to use a male name and pronouns for their daughter. The parents say they have not spoken to Sophie since late 2024.

According to the family, DCF placed Sophie in a boys’ dormitory, denied her access to Sunday Mass, and prescribed birth control and psychiatric medications. Officials have sought court approval for high-dose testosterone. A judge temporarily blocked that treatment, with the next hearing scheduled for October 29.

The Kutzkos, active in a local Filipino Catholic ministry, have described the situation as devastating. Arlene Kutzko has publicly pleaded for her daughter’s return. Their attorney, Vernadette Broyles of the Child & Parental Rights Campaign, is representing them in the ongoing custody and medical treatment dispute. Broyles has also advocated for legislative changes to prevent parental refusal to socially or medically transition a child from being treated as child abuse.

DCF has not responded to media requests for comment on the case. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidance on gender identity in schools allows for social transition considerations and notes that school personnel may speak with a student before discussing gender nonconformity with parents in some circumstances involving safety or lack of acceptance at home.The case has drawn attention from parental rights advocates, who describe it as an example of state intervention overriding parental authority and religious beliefs. The Kutzkos continue to seek Sophie’s return home and a full psychological evaluation before any medical interventions.