A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked a California law that would prevent schools from informing parents if their child comes out as transgender. This ruling comes from the Ninth Circuit, which sided with Huntington Beach, a conservative city that argued parents deserve to be informed about their children’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Nick Barry, senior counsel at America First Legal, a group supporting Huntington Beach, expressed that the ruling is a strong affirmation of parental rights. He emphasized that California should not compel teachers and administrators to maintain silence against parents.
The temporary injunction halts implementation of the law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in July 2024, which aimed to position California as the first state to bar schools from alerting parents about their child’s gender identity changes.
After the law’s passage, the city was taken aback. In response, Huntington Beach proposed the “Parents’ Right to Know” Ordinance, requiring teachers to disclose students’ sexual orientation and gender identity to their parents.
This ordinance was crafted to counteract the arguments from state Democrats who highlighted the risks of outing a child’s identity to their family. Gracie Van Der Mark, the former mayor of Huntington Beach, stated that the ordinance reflects the city’s stance against what they see as Sacramento’s overreach into parent-child dynamics.
Following the city’s legal challenge, a federal judge previously rejected Huntington Beach’s plea for an urgent injunction against the law, and ruled it lacked standing to sue. However, the situation flipped this year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against California’s law in a separate case, affirming that parents hold primary responsibility for their children’s care and education.
In its latest decision, the Ninth Circuit noted that Huntington Beach is “likely to prevail on its constitutional claims” following this Supreme Court ruling. Paul M. Jonah, a special counsel for the Thomas More Institute involved in the case, credited the decision to their clients’ bravery in confronting California’s restrictions on gender disclosure.
Meanwhile, Governor Newsom and other California Democrats expressed frustration with the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision. Newsom remarked that this ruling undermines student privacy and their ability to thrive in secure, accepting learning environments.
