Coalition of 17 States and Five Senators Backs Parents in California Gender-Policy Case
A coalition filed dozens of legal briefs on September 8 supporting California parents challenging a state law that bars schools from adopting mandatory parental-notification policies when a student socially transitions gender at school, a case now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The parents, represented by the Thomas More Society, argue the law violates their right to direct their children's upbringing. The briefs, backing the parents, came from 17 state attorneys general, including Texas, Florida, and Alabama, five Republican senators, including Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, and more than 70 advocacy organizations spanning Catholic groups, Christian legal associations, and medical professionals.
The case traces back to a March 2026 Supreme Court decision that halted enforcement of California's law by a 6 to 3 vote, finding it likely violated parents' religious-freedom and Fourteenth Amendment rights. A lower court's injunction blocking the law remains in effect while the Ninth Circuit reviews the underlying case. The coalition's briefs argue that "parents, not school bureaucrats, have the right to raise their children."
