Supreme Court Rules 6-3 That Schools Must Inform Parents Before Addressing Students' Gender Identity Changes

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that California school districts must inform parents when their children identify as transgender at school, delivering a landmark affirmation of parental authority over children's upbringing in the most closely watched education case of the term. The majority held that parents have a fundamental constitutional right to direct the care and education of their children, and that school policies concealing a child's gender identity from parents violate that right. The three dissenting justices argued the ruling could endanger vulnerable students, but the majority opinion emphasized that the parental right to knowledge about a child's wellbeing is not something schools can override based on their own judgment of what is best for the child.