The Supreme Court has not listened to any of the Maryland parents who are trying to sue a school system for its rules on forcing students to change their gender without their parents’ permission.
John and Jane 1 v. Montgomery County Board of Education is the name of the case. The main question is whether the parents have the right to file a suit at all. This is what the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals said: the parents in Montgomery County did not have the right to sue.
The parents said that the school district’s policy on gender identity allowed teachers to hide information about their child’s chosen pronouns and gender identity from them. The Fourth Circuit said the parents didn’t have the right to sue because they “didn’t say that their children have gender support plans, are transgender, or even are having problems with their gender identity.”
Gene Hamilton, executive director of American First Legal, spoke out about the decision. He said, “Federal judges across the United States are utterly failing to do exactly what they should do: say what the law is and decide cases and controversies between specific parties with specific claims.”
“An overwhelming number of federal judges are hiding behind false understandings of ‘standing’ and the role of federal courts as properly understood by the founders,” said Hamilton. He said, “Until that changes, sadly, we are going to see more righteous cases dismissed by judges who lack the courage to do their fundamental duty.”
“Parental rights are under attack across the nation,” said Kayla Toney, a lawyer at the First Liberty Institute who also filed a brief in the case. “Policies that keep gender transitions secret from parents are especially harmful to parents from many different faith backgrounds.”
“That is why we are disappointed that the Supreme Court did not grant certiorari in this case, and we will continue to advocate for religious parents,” she said.
