Mom alleges Michigan school gave her 7-year-old medical care without permission

Mom says this may not be an isolated incident

TAYLOR, Mich - Courtney Prout, a certified teacher and mother from Taylor, Michigan, says her second-grade daughter was pulled from class and given prescription glasses without her informed consent.

"My daughter went through a three- to four-week medical intervention without me knowing," Prout said. "They pulled her out of school, put her on a bus, and gave her prescription-strength glasses—without ever calling me."

Prout says the Taylor School District partnered with a nonprofit called Vision to Learn, which provides free glasses to students in low-income or Title I schools. However, she claims the district mishandled the process by using an "opt-out" form instead of requiring direct parental consent.

"I never received an opt-out form," Prout said. "Because I didn’t opt out, they treated it as if I gave permission. That’s not how medical decisions for children should work."

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Adding to her concern, Prout says her daughter never needed glasses in the first place. "She has no vision issues," Prout said. "Now we have to go through another full vision exam to make sure these prescription glasses didn’t cause any harm to her eyesight."

While Prout acknowledges that helping children in need is important, she says transparency and parental involvement must come first. "It’s great to provide services," she said, "but you can’t bypass the parents. We have a right to be involved in every medical decision regarding our kids."

Prout also uncovered that the district used the same opt-out method for other sensitive programs, including HIV/AIDS education for fifth graders. "When I found opt-out forms for an HIV education course crumpled on the floor at school, I realized this is much bigger than just glasses," she said. "If parents don’t sign, kids are automatically opted in without real parental knowledge or consent."

She fears this practice could eventually expand to even more serious medical issues, like vaccines or mental health treatments administered without parental approval. "If we don’t stop it here, what’s next?" she said.

Despite repeated attempts, the Taylor School District has not responded to requests for comment. Prout has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to demand transparency about how these programs were implemented.

"Parents must stand up," Prout said. "Our rights are being chipped away, and if we stay silent, we’re giving them permission to keep going. I won’t stay silent when it comes to protecting my child."