Sage Blair and her mother Michele invited to State of the Union after family’s legal fight

Appomattox residents Michele and sage blair were invited as guests to Tuesday’s State of the Union address in Washington, D. C., a development tied to a 2023 lawsuit Michele filed against Appomattox County Schools officials over the handling of Sage’s gender identity and bullying.

Sage Blair highlighted in the presidential address

President Donald Trump pointed to the case of Sage Blair during his State of the Union address, referencing the family’s claim that the school concealed her gender transition. The mention placed the Appomattox family at the center of the national discussion during the speech in Washington, D. C.

Mother filed 2023 lawsuit against school officials

In 2023 Michele filed a lawsuit against multiple Appomattox County Schools officials, alleging they concealed information about Sage’s gender identity and bullying. The lawsuit, lodged in 2023, says those actions ultimately contributed to Sage’s decision to run away from home.

Michele’s account of what happened after Sage ran away

Michele said that after Sage ran away she was kidnapped, raped and sex-trafficked across state lines. That account is part of the family’s public statements tied to the legal action and the family’s invitation to the State of the Union address in Washington, D. C.

Advocate frames invitation as focus on parental involvement

Vernadette Broyles, who represents Michele through the Child & Parental Rights Campaign, said in a press release that the invitation to the State of the Union address "highlights the national conversation on putting parental involvement and child safety first. " Broyles’ statement tied the family’s presence in Washington, D. C., to broader advocacy work by the Child & Parental Rights Campaign.

What the family has said and what remains public

Family members say the school concealed sage blair’s gender transition and that the concealment, along with bullying, led to the events alleged in the 2023 lawsuit. The family’s legal filing names multiple Appomattox County Schools officials as defendants; unclear in the provided context are specifics such as court dates or the full list of officials named.

The invitation brings Michele and her daughter to Washington, D. C., this Tuesday for the State of the Union address. Officials have positioned the appearance as a moment tied to parental involvement and child safety, and the family’s presence follows the 2023 legal action and the presidential mention during the address.