‘I can’t watch the swim practice with my daughter? You can go tell her to get her clothes on, as she’s not participating in this program, and you can go fetch the refund for the fees for this program.’
That’s it. Why do people feel the need to accommodate the dictates of city officials? You stand up, walk away, and tell your friends, notify the press, put pressure on the program to change. But you sure as heck don’t bring your daughter for a second time.
And trust me, if parents take a stand, the program goes away, as these programs need a certain level of participation to continue.
Never, ever, ever let any government official separate you from your children, for any reason, in any circumstances, without your legal representative present. That goes for instances like this, travels through an airport, etc. If the press the issue, state clearly that you are more than willing to comply with their wishes just as soon as your lawyer can arrive, as you abjectly refuse to surrender any of your parental rights without legal consultation.
This is indeed a case of of the squeeky wheel getting the grease. We need to put that old adage to our advantage.