What if the radical feminism shaping your daughter’s identity isn't coming from culture but from a school “mental health” session?

My organization, Courage Is a Habit, investigated and unveiled that the American School Counselor Association is promoting Lean In Girls, a program developed by the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation, as a tier 2 intervention for girls as young as 11.

They are grooming the next generation of activists to carry out a political agenda.

We released a bombshell report showing that this program is marketed as confidence-building, but it introduces controversial ideas about identity, power, and gender under the umbrella of mental health, often in settings where parents may have limited visibility.

Its connection to radical feminist Sheryl Sandberg, who has recently re-entered the cultural spotlight, raises broader questions about how these ideas are reaching students. At a minimum, this debate points to a simple question: When schools say “mental health,” what are children actually being taught — and do parents know?

For decades, the school counselor’s office served as a sanctuary for student wellness and academic guidance. However, the ASCA continues peddling radical feminist curriculum into the lives of young girls in their most formative years.

Silencing dissent

Sheryl Sandberg, the architect of this curriculum, brings a troubling record from her time as Meta’s chief operating officer. Under her leadership, the platform weaponized "fact-checking" systems to silence conservative voices and fuel and create a stifling, hypersensitive environment.

This era of aggressive content moderation suppressed COVID skepticism and gender-critical opinions while hiding the Hunter Biden laptop story. Now that same culture, which Mark Zuckerberg later admitted "neutered" his company, has been repackaged as a mental health tool for young girls.

The erasure of biological reality

The most alarming aspect of Lean In Girls is its assault on the definition of a "girl." The program openly invites biological males, described as "nonbinary teens who identify with the girlhood experience," to participate in these sessions.

Facilitators are directed to use "gender-neutral language," avoiding the words "girls" or "guys" in favor of "folks" or "leaders." They are coached to swap "they/them" pronouns into scenarios and apologize if they make a mistake with a student's preferred name or pronouns. All of this is funded by taxpayer-backed school resources.

Beyond gender ideology, the curriculum utilizes the divisive tactics of critical race theory. Facilitators are directed to rank themselves and their students on an intersectional "hierarchy of oppression." This exercise divides children by race, sexuality, and perceived victim status.

Instead of teaching girls to lead with character, it teaches them to view every interaction through the lens of power and systemic bias.

RELATED: Why do state schools bankroll people who despise the state?

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Bypassing the parents

ASCA is positioning this program as a tier 2 intervention for students flagged as needing targeted behavioral or mental health support. This allows schools to target students for radicalization, often without explicit parental notification, under the fraudulent banner of wellness.

By framing activism as mental health support, school districts are attempting to bypass parental rights protections affirmed in cases like Mahmoud v. Taylor. They are grooming the next generation of activists to carry out a political agenda, similar to the radical figures Sandberg’s previous platforms once protected from criticism.

A call to action

The "Lean In" philosophy has moved from the corporate boardroom to the middle school hallway, bringing the full weight of DEI compliance and radical gender ideology with it. Parents must realize that many school counselors have become activists in residence. It is time to demand transparency.

Parents should take an active role in understanding what their children are being exposed to in school. Start by asking whether programs like Lean In Girls are being used and request access to the full curriculum.

It’s also important to insist on clear, written confirmation that parental consent will be obtained before any child is placed in these types of groups. And if concerns remain, parents have the option to opt out, ensuring their daughters are not placed in programs that conflict with their values or understanding of identity.

Our daughters deserve a future built on truth and genuine confidence, not a life of miserable marches, constant screaming, and insufferable activism.