428. They Took Our Daughter | Todd & Krista Kolstad
Mar 4, 2024
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Todd and Krista Kolstad share their gripping journey of fighting the state of Montana for custody of their daughter, Jennifer. Todd, an Air Force veteran turned tech entrepreneur, and Krista, a licensed mortician, open up about the struggles they face as they navigate their daughter's identity crisis. They discuss emotional challenges, bullying, and mental health emergencies, and reflect on their painful experience with Child Protective Services. Their story highlights the complexities of parenting in a system that often feels out of their control.
Online influences like TikTok played a role in their daughter's gender identity confusion.
Peer pressure and bullying at school contributed to their daughter's adoption of a transgender identity.
Concerns arose regarding the misrepresentation of their daughter's mental health by the psychiatric community.
The family faced legal battles and societal pressures while fighting for their daughter's return amid challenges with Child Protective Services.
Deep dives
Challenges with Daughters Variant Gender Identity
The Colstads faced challenges when their daughter claimed a variant gender identity, leading to interactions that attracted Child Protection Services. Despite efforts to address the issues through counseling, online influences, like TikTok, and social circles played a significant role in her developing identity confusion.
Bullying and Storytelling Behavior
Jennifer had a history of bullying at school, which contributed to her storytelling behavior. She created elaborate fantasies about having a twin brother and faced peer pressure to adopt a transgender identity. Her tendency to create dramatic narratives escalated, involving false reports and suicide threats.
Misrepresentation of Suicide Risk
Although Jennifer exhibited scratch marks and claimed to have suicidal thoughts, her parents noted it was not a consistent pattern of self-harm. However, the psychiatric community escalated the situation, placing her under close observation for potential inpatient treatment for suicide risk, leading to concerns about misrepresentation of her mental health.
Manipulative Dynamics and Treatment Options
The family perceived manipulative dynamics surrounding potential psychiatric care, highlighting discomfort with Wyoming facilities due to legal differences in transgender care options. Despite expecting inpatient treatment in Billings, the parents faced uncertainty about the course of care and the underlying motivations driving the discussions around Jennifer's mental health.
Parents' Battle with CPS and Court System
The parents discuss their struggle with Child Protective Services (CPS) and the court system in trying to reunite with their daughter. They highlight the challenges they faced in getting their daughter back amid CPS investigations, court battles, and pressure to accept their daughter's gender identity against their beliefs.
Legal and Emotional Turmoil
The family navigates through legal and emotional turmoil as they fight for the return of their child. They recount the court's demands for counseling to accept their daughter's new identity, the legal battles, and the emotional toll of being torn apart from their daughter while also facing societal pressures.
Fighting for Freedom of Speech and Family
Amid legal threats and silence demands, the family stands up for their right to freedom of speech and to fight for their family. They face contempt charges for speaking out, engage a First Amendment attorney, and continue to advocate for their daughter's well-being amidst escalating legal and emotional challenges.
Dr. Jordan Peterson speaks in-person with Todd and Krista Kolstad. They discuss their ongoing court battle with the state of Montana surrounding the removal of their daughter from their home, and then to Canada, for lack of gender affirmation.
Krista Cummins-Kolstad was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. After mortuary school, she moved to Flathead County, Montana where she spent the next 13 years as a licensed mortician and funeral director. She married Todd Kolstad in 2017 and recently moved to Glasgow Montana to give her daughter a fresh start. She has been working with her husband Todd at his company, Montana Technical Solutions since 2021.
A Glasgow, Montana native, Todd Kolstad spent his high school years in the Phoenix, Arizona area. He served in the Air Force from 1987 to 1991 mostly stationed in Kadena Air Base with the 12th tactical fighter squadron. After his military service he worked for Siemens nuclear power for 10yrs doing nuclear instrumentation. He then worked for KLA-Tencor performing laser alignment robotics globally. He then returned to the glasgow Montana area and started the company he has today: Montana Technical Solutions. Todd has five children with his ex wife. He moved to the flathead valley area where he met and married Krista Cumm.
- Links -
2024 tour details can be found here https://jordanbpeterson.com/events
Peterson Academy https://petersonacademy.com/
For Todd & Krista Kolstad:
Given Send Go campaign to help with legal fees https://www.givesendgo.com/GBMG9
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