Supreme Court turns away another parental rights dispute

Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday turned away an appeal from a Florida couple who alleged that their parental rights were violated by a now-revised school board policy that kept their daughter's school from informing them about her request to use a different name and pronouns. In rejecting the case, the high court again sidesteps a simmering battle that pits the right of parents to direct their child's care against policies enacted in recent years that aim to protect students' privacy and prevent public schools from outing transgender students to their families. At least three of the justices, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, have already urged courts to address whether a school district violates parents' rights when it affirms a student's gender transition without their knowledge or consent, calling the issue of one of "great and growing national importance." The Supreme Court's conservative majority also blocked a California law that prevents school districts from requiring teachers to notify parents if their child seeks to use different pronouns while litigation moves forward. The legal battle stems from procedures developed by the School Board of Leon County, Florida, in 2018 that it said aimed to balance concerns of safety, privacy, students' rights and parental notice that arose when a student sought to use a different name and pronouns. …