When Robert Hoogland’s daughter was just 14, she was encouraged by her school counselor in British Columbia’s Delta School District to identify as a boy. Shortly thereafter, a pediatric endocrinologist at the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Gender Clinic began administering testosterone injections to the daughter—even though Hoogland refused to consent to the treatment. The hospital argued the daughter could choose to receive the injections under the province’s Infants Act, a law allowing minors to make medical decisions independently as long as a health care professional believes the child is capable of consenting and that the treatment is appropriate.

Hoogland sought an injunction to stop the testosterone treatment. But on Feb. 27, 2019, a judge ruled that “attempting to persuade [the girl] to abandon treatment for gender dysphoria; addressing [the girl] by [her] birth name; referring to [the girl] as a girl or with female pronouns, whether to [her] directly or to third parties, shall be considered to be family violence.”

The court also barred Hoogland from publicly identifying any parties involved in the case.

Hoogland vowed to appeal, and the night of the ruling, he granted an interview to The Federalist in which he refused to obey the court’s demand that he refer to his daughter as a boy, “because,” he protested, “she is a girl. Her DNA will not change through all these experiments that they do.”

In April 2019, Hoogland was charged with “family violence” and ordered to keep quiet about the case while his appeal was being processed. 

In January 2020, his appeal was rejected. 

Again, Hoogland granted an interview with The Federalist.

“What kind of father would I be if, let’s say in five, 10 years my daughter is de-transitioning, and she turns to me and says, ‘Why did none of you do anything to stop this? I was a child. None of you stuck your neck out for me back then. You just let me do it because I was an … immature kid, thinking this was something great,’” he said in the interview. “When my daughter asks me that question, I’ll say, ‘I did everything that I possibly could.’”

“Whatever happens to me pales in comparison to what’s already happened to my daughter,” he added.

Following the interview, Hoogland was arrested, charged with contempt of court and denied bail.

Hoogland pleaded guilty, with the understanding that he would receive a 45-day jail sentence and 18 months’ probation. But British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Michael Tammen instead is arguing for Hoogland to receive a significantly higher penalty of six months in jail.

Initially, Hoogland was denied bail, but on April 30, the British Columbia Court of Appeal granted Hoogland’s application to be released on bail pending the hearing of his appeal of the six months jail sentence—with several stipulations.

According to The Christian Post, the terms and conditions of his bail stipulate that he keep the peace and be of good behavior, maintain his employment and remain within the province of British Columbia. Hoogland must also surrender his travel document, pursue the appeal and abide by the orders that have been made in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in his case.