In this episode of ReligiousLiberty.tv, Michael Peabody examines a recent United States Supreme Court order involving parental rights, religious liberty, and public school gender identity policies.
The case, Mirabelli v. Bonta, addresses California policies that restricted school staff from informing parents if a student began using a different name, pronouns, or gender identity at school without the student’s consent. Parents challenged the policies in federal court, arguing that the rules interfered with their ability to direct the upbringing of their children and to raise them according to their religious beliefs.
The Supreme Court issued an emergency order vacating a stay from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and restoring a lower court injunction that had blocked enforcement of the policies for parents who object. The order allows the injunction to remain in place while the case continues through the courts.
The Court indicated that the parents bringing the lawsuit are likely to succeed on claims under the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause. The order also stated that parents more broadly are likely to succeed on claims involving the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection of parental authority in directing the upbringing and education of children.
Two justices dissented. The dissent argued the Court should have allowed the appellate process to continue before intervening.
The case will continue in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Future proceedings could determine whether the Supreme Court takes the case for full review.
== Topics discussed ==
• Supreme Court emergency order in Mirabelli v. Bonta
• Parental rights and the Fourteenth Amendment
• Religious liberty claims under the First Amendment
• California school gender identity nondisclosure policies
• The dissenting opinion and procedural concerns
• Possible implications for similar cases across the United States
== Host ==
Michael Peabody
ReligiousLiberty.tv
== Source article ==
Based on reporting published at ReligiousLiberty.tv.
Source: ReligiousLibertyTV on Substack