SCOTUS Delivers Major Wins for Parents and Kids
CPC Calls for Immediate Policy Reforms in California
SACRAMENTO — California Policy Center applauds today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor as a decisive victory for parental rights. The High Court has made it clear: parents cannot be sidelined in their child’s education.
In a 6–3 ruling, the Court upheld the right of parents to opt their children out of “LGBTQ+ inclusive” books and curriculum when it conflicts with their religious beliefs.
“The Court reaffirmed what we’ve long known — parents have the right to guide their children’s upbringing, including what kind of information they receive at school. Parents’ ability to opt-out of controversial instruction is fundamental,” said Lance Christensen, Vice President of Government Affairs and Education Policy at California Policy Center (CPC).
“California leaders should act quickly to ensure the rights of parents to opt-out before school begins in the fall,” Christensen said.
The Court’s decision has immediate impact for California. The California School Board Association (CSBA) has a model policy — sample Administrative Regulation 6142.8 — that explicitly prohibits opt outs of gender and sexuality subjects. Under the section entitled “Students Excused from Health Instruction,” CSBA’s policy says:
[h]owever, pursuant to Education Code section 51932, such parental request shall not excuse a student from instruction, materials, presentations, or programming that discuss gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, discrimination, harassment, bullying, intimidation, relationships, or family and do not discuss human reproductive organs and their functions. (Education Code section 51938).
“The Supreme Court decision sheds light on the rampant indoctrination into sexuality and gender ideology concepts to very young children in America’s public schools,” said CPC attorney Julie Hamill, president of the California Justice Center. “If you are a school board trustee in a district with this policy on the books, rescind it ASAP.”
California Policy Center also commends the Supreme Court for another decision released today, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. In a 6–3 decision, the Court upheld Texas’s law requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages, affirming that states have the authority to protect minors from harmful online content. The Court ruled that age-verification laws are constitutional when they serve the important interest of safeguarding children.
“California lawmakers should enact legislation immediately to require robust age-verification measures for adult online platforms to protect California’s kids,” said Christensen.
In a third decision, announced June 18, 2025, United States v. Skrmetti, the Court upheld a Tennessee law that bans certain medical treatments for minors related to “gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, or gender incongruence.”
“The Supreme Court’s recent decisions give us the legal ammunition to keep advancing the fight in California,” said Christensen. “California Policy Center remains committed to standing with parents — whether in the Capitol, at school board meetings, or in the media. We’ll continue working to ensure state and local leaders bring their policies into line with the Supreme Court rulings and the U.S. Constitution.”
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