In a move that could have impacted a number of Alaska school districts, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a petition on Dec. 9 to hear Parents Protecting Our Children v. Eau Claire Area School District, a case aimed at resolving the growing national conflict between parental rights and controversial LGBTQ school policies that leave parents in the dark about how schools classify and affirm their minor child’s gender-identity.
The majority of the high court ruled that the parents bringing the case lacked standing because they could not yet show that a Wisconsin school district’s gender policy had actually hidden information about a child from parents. A dissenting opinion by Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas, however, emphasized the pressing need for courts to address this important conflict. Justice Kavanaugh separately said that he, too, would have granted the parents’ petition and heard the case.
At issue is a Wisconsin school district’s gender identity practice of banning parents and guardians from knowing how a school addresses their child’s gender identity, unless the parent first demonstrates that they are trustworthy.
“There are many other ongoing cases involving parents’ rights and notification policies, and I am optimistic that the Court will take up one or several of these crucial cases in the coming months,” Liberty Justice Center Senior Counsel Emily Rae said.
On July 8, the Liberty Justice Center and clinical psychologist Dr. Erica Anderson jointly filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to hear the case. The brief argued that school administrators are using gender policies to violate parents’ constitutional right to direct their children’s upbringing.
Similar policies are in place in school districts across Alaska, both in Anchorage and many rural areas. The national watchdog group, Parents Defending Education, has compiled a list of problematic school districts, including roughly a dozen in Alaska.
In dissenting from the majority, Justices Alito and Thomas said the case “presents a question of great and growing national concern” – namely, whether a school district “violates parents’ fundamental constitutional right to make decisions concerning the rearing of their children” when “it encourages a student to transition to a new gender or assists in that process” without parents’ knowledge or consent. The Justices pointed to more than 1,000 school districts across the country that have adopted such policies.
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The dissenting opinion also expressed “concern” that courts are using standing as a way of “avoiding” the issue of parental rights – particularly because the school district’s policy would effectively prevent parents from even being able to prove standing until after the school had already violated their rights.
Following the Court’s announcement, Liberty Justice Center Senior Counsel Emily Rae expressed her disappointment.
“There are many other ongoing cases involving parents’ rights and notification policies, and I am optimistic that the Court will take up one or several of these crucial cases in the coming months,” she said.
Liberty Justice Center fights for parents’ rights – at no cost to them or taxpayers – by challenging state and federal laws that infringe on families’ fundamental rights.
12 Comments
How silly to be fighting over this nonsense when most parents are merely struggling to feed and house their children or provide childcare. The conversation should focus on the stolen wealth of the American working class due to Republican policies of the last 50 years.
exactly this!
Who’s instigating the mass invasion from our southern boarder? Do you think all these illegals entering our country aren’t going to cost the struggling citizens of this country their hard earned income? More people in this country are struggling because of Democrat’s control over our policies… not republican policies. You need to switch off CNN & PBS. Over the last four years the people of this country have opened their eyes to see exactly the evil hearts of the democrat party.
Hard to believe some good news has come from this compromised Supreme Court.
So a child has to be harmed before our Supreme Court will hear the case? Just the policy alone should have given any parent standing! The utter nerve of the school district requiring the parents demonstrates that they are trustworthy, and whom decides that??? Where is the snake John G. Roberts, and Amy Coney Barrett, do they not have children or are they’re children in a privileged private school? I’m really worried that the evil in this country has infected our Supreme Court.
Agree. It sounds like ‘guilty until proven innocent’. Seems that should be the basis of another case.
PARENTS: TAKE YOUR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOLS UNTIL THESE INSANE POLICIES HAVE BEEN BURIED IN THE GARBAGE CAN FOR LGBTQRSTUV BS. IF YOUR CHILD DOESN’T GO TO SCHOOL – THE SCHOOLD DOESN’T GET PAID. HOW LONG WILL THE SCHOOLS KEEP THIS CRAP UP WITHOUT THE MONEY.
I see a problem with your suggestion.
Okay.. You see a problem.. Please enlighten us.. It appears that you “see a problem” with anyone who expresses viewpoints that differ from your leftist ideologies. My tax dollars fund the NEA, and the salaries of the indoctrinating, so-called teachers who depart from their duties to educate the children on Math, Algebra, English “Languages” , “actual” Biology, Science, and Physics.. They have a responsibility to follow, and comply with the strict educational needs of the children. There is a stark difference in education, and indoctrination… So, Jeffie.. enlighten us about your leftist problem(s).
Protect your children. Take them out of any school that would even entertain the notion of hiding anything from parents. They have a sickness in their mind. Don’t expose your children to them. Creeps in public schools need to be removed.
There have been verified creeps in private schools f all kinds, but mostly Catholic ones.
The Inquisition discovered a long time ago that Satanists go directly for corrupting the minds of children… Malleus Maleficarum 1486, page xix.