The US Supreme Court has blocked a law which prevented teachers from outing trans pupils to their parents, halting a policy the state said was to protect youngsters from harm.

The emergency appeal was brought by a group of religious parents and educators who opposed school policies in the state that prevent teachers from automatically informing parents and caregivers if a child changes their pronouns or gender expression.

The parents in the case were represented by the Thomas More Society, a conservative Catholic law firm known for fighting on culture war issues including abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.

The law firm has previously supported several anti-LGBTQ+ cases, including county clerks opposed to same-sex marriage and a university counselling student who refused to counsel same-sex couples.

The state argued the law protects pupils from harm, especially if they suspect they may experience rejection or abuse at home, and said they have a right to privacy about their gender.

The court, however, sided with the parents and educators and reinstated a lower-court order which blocked the law and school policies.

The decision comes months after the Supreme Court agreed with other religious parents in a separate case, which would allow parents to remove their children from lessons that feature LGBTQ+ inclusive books.

The case of Mahmoud vs Taylor concerned Montgomery County Public Schools, the largest school district in the state of Maryland, which introduced several LGBTQ+ storybooks in 2022.

Initially the school district allowed parents to pull their children out of lessons where the books were used but removed the option in 2023, saying the policy was disruptive. A group of parents subsequently sued on religious grounds, saying the decision infringed on their First Amendment freedoms.

The Supreme Court sided with the parents in 6-3 decision, which many believe will be used as justification for future rollbacks on LGBTQ+ inclusion in education.

“We conclude that the parents who seek religious exemptions are likely to succeed on the merits of their Free Exercise Clause claim,” the Supreme Court said of the California case.

“The parents who assert a free exercise claim have sincere religious beliefs about sex and gender, and they feel a religious obligation to raise their children in accordance with those beliefs,” the judgement continued, adding the state’s policies “violate those beliefs”.

It added: “The State argues that its policies advance a compelling interest in student safety and privacy. But those policies cut out the primary protectors of children’s best interests: their parents.”

Paul M. Jonna, special counsel at Thomas More Society and partner at LiMandri and Jonna LLP, described the decision as a “watershed moment for parental rights in America”.

“The Supreme Court has told California and every state in the nation in no uncertain terms: you cannot secretly transition a child behind a parent’s back,” Jonna went on to say.

“The Court’s landmark reaffirmation of substantive due process, its vindication of religious liberty, and its approval of class-wide relief together set a historic precedent that will dismantle secret gender transition policies across the country.”

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