Conservative Supreme Court justices curb California's effort to shield transgender students from forced outing
https://www.advocate.com/news/education/supreme-court-forced-outing-transgender 🔗Christopher Wiggins (3 March 2026)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday delivered a significant blow to transgender students in California, allowing parents challenging the state's school gender identity policies to enforce a lower court injunction that restricts student confidentiality while the case moves forward on appeal.
In an 18-page unsigned opinion in Mirabelli v. Bonta, the court vacated a Ninth Circuit order that had blocked a district court ruling against California officials, including Attorney General Rob Bonta. The justices concluded that parents objecting on religious grounds are "likely to succeed on the merits" of their claims under the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
The case centers on California guidance prohibiting school staff from telling parents if a student socially transitions at school, meaning they are adopting a different name or pronouns, without the student's consent. State officials say the policy shields students who may face rejection or harm at home. Opponents argue it unlawfully cuts parents out of consequential decisions about their children's mental health and upbringing.
