Today’s Religion Law Quiz continues with a “back to the basics” question. Let’s see how you do. According to the Supreme Court, who are the primary protectors of children’s best interest?
(Scroll down for the answer)
Answer: Hopefully this answer is obvious to you: It is the parents. Here’s what the Supreme Court said in that regard.
California's policies will likely not survive the strict scrutiny that Mahmoud demands. The State argues that its policies advance a compelling interest in student safety and privacy. But those policies cut out the primary protectors 497 of children's best interests: their parents. See Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 68–69, 120 S.Ct. 2054, 147 L.Ed.2d 49 (2000) (plurality opinion). California's policies also appear to fail the narrow-tailoring requirement. The State's interest in safety could be served by a policy that allows religious exemptions *803 while precluding gender-identity disclosure to parents who would engage in abuse. For these reasons, the parents who object to the California policies on free exercise grounds are likely to succeed on the merits.
Mirabelli v. Bonta, 607 U.S. 492, 496–97, 146 S. Ct. 797, 802–03, 224 L. Ed. 2d 310 (2026)
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