A federal appeals court ruled on June 19, 2026, that California's policy preventing school employees from informing parents about their children's gender transitions is unlawful. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted a request from the city of Huntington Beach and a group of parents to halt the enforcement of AB 1955, which restricts school officials from disclosing students' use of different names and pronouns to their parents. The court referenced a prior Supreme Court ruling in the case of Mirabelli v. Bonta, stating that the California policy likely infringes on parents' constitutional rights.
In the March ruling of Mirabelli, the Supreme Court had previously blocked a similar policy, emphasizing that parents have the primary authority regarding their children's upbringing and education. The appeals court panel included judges appointed by both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon expressed support for the Ninth Circuit's ruling, stating that it reaffirms parents' rights to access their children's education records. The city and parents argued that the Mirabelli case demonstrated the need to block the California policy while their appeal is ongoing, asserting that the policy undermines parental authority in favor of state control. The Supreme Court is expected to address cases related to school gender transition policies in future terms.