The US Supreme Court has blocked a series of California laws that limited the sharing of information with parents about the gender identity of transgender students in public schools. The emergency request was granted on Monday, with the three liberal justices dissenting.
The ruling marks a victory for parents who challenged the protections on religious and due process grounds. California law includes a right to privacy under the state constitution, which could apply when transgender students object to their gender identities being disclosed to parents, sometimes out of fear of hostility or violence.
In 2023, two teachers in southern California sued the Escondido Union School District, arguing that a parent's right to make decisions about their children's care is a fundamental liberty interest. Two devoutly Catholic couples later joined the suit, alleging their children expressed themselves as transgender at school without parental knowledge, violating their religious and due process rights.
US District Judge Roger Benitez ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in December, blocking the measures. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals put that ruling on hold on 5 January, citing errors in the judge's analysis. The Supreme Court's decision now overturns the appeals court's stay.
The Supreme Court is also set to rule on another case involving transgender youth. On 13 January, it heard arguments in a case where a college student and a high school student sued over laws in West Virginia and Idaho barring them from girls' sports. A majority of justices appeared poised to uphold the ban, which could have significant implications for trans rights.
