US Supreme Court blocks California privacy protections for transgender students

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked on Monday a series of California laws that can limit the sharing of information with parents about the gender identity of transgender public school students without the child's permission, handing a victory to Christian parents who challenged these protections.



The justices in a 6-3 decision granted an emergency request by the challengers to reinstate a judge's ruling that the privacy and anti-discrimination measures at issue undermined their religious and parental rights under the U.S. Constitution's First and 14th Amendments, while litigation continues. A federal appeals court had put that ruling on hold.



The Supreme Court's decision on Monday was powered by its conservative justices, with its three liberal members dissenting.



The court's majority said in an unsigned opinion that California's policies likely violated the religious beliefs of the parents about sex and gender, running afoul of First Amendment protections.



"The state argues that its policies advance a compelling interest in student safety and privacy. But those policies cut out the primary protectors of children's best interests: their parents," the court's majority stated.