Overview
- On a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court granted emergency relief that reinstates a district judge’s injunction for the parent-plaintiffs against California measures limiting school disclosure of a student’s gender identity.
- The justices said parents seeking religious exemptions are likely to prevail on their Free Exercise claims and signaled potential success on parental-rights grounds, citing last year’s Mahmoud decision.
- The ruling leaves in place the Ninth Circuit appeal on the merits and denies parallel emergency relief for the teachers who also challenged the policies.
- California officials defend the contested provisions, rooted in 2024’s AB 1955 and related guidance, as protecting student privacy and safety and permitting disclosure when nondisclosure would risk harm.
- Justice Elena Kagan, joined by two colleagues, dissented over the court’s use of its emergency docket, criticizing the expedited intervention without full briefing or argument.