PREVIEW

US Supreme Court Blocks California Transgender Student Privacy Protections. The US Supreme Court has halted California laws that limit schools from sharing a student’s transgender identity with parents without the child’s consent. In a 6-3 decision, the court sided with Christian parents who argued the measures violated their constitutional religious and parental rights. The ruling reinstates a lower court decision while legal challenges continue, after an appeals court had temporarily blocked it. The conservative majority said California’s policies likely infringed First Amendment protections and parental rights under the 14th Amendment. Justices in the majority argued that parents cannot be excluded from decisions involving their children’s mental health and wellbeing. California officials had defended the protections as necessary to safeguard transgender students who may fear rejection or harm at home. The case is part of a broader wave of legal battles across the US over transgender rights in schools, healthcare and sports. In a dissent, Justice Elena Kagan criticised the court for using its emergency docket to decide complex constitutional questions. California’s attorney general expressed disappointment, while the conservative Thomas More Society called the ruling a major victory for parental rights. The lawsuit was brought by Christian teachers and Catholic parents who claimed the policies encouraged “secret gender transitions” without parental knowledge.
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