{"id":2585843,"date":"2026-03-31T18:26:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T22:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ca-must-pay-attorney-fees-after-losing-school-secret-gender-transition-case\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T18:29:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T22:29:41","slug":"ca-must-pay-attorney-fees-after-losing-school-secret-gender-transition-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ca-must-pay-attorney-fees-after-losing-school-secret-gender-transition-case\/","title":{"rendered":"CA must pay attorney fees after losing school secret gender transition case"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fca-must-pay-attorney-fees-after-losing-school-secret-gender-transition-case%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2585843&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A federal judge ordered California to pay about $4.52 million in attorneys\u2019 fees to a coalition of parents and teachers who challenged a state policy that allowed school officials to conceal a student\u2019s gender transition from parents. U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ruled teh policy unconstitutional because it infringed on families\u2019 right to guide their children\u2019s health and education, and he issued a statewide injunction blocking the policy.<\/p>\n<p>The case, which began in 2023 and is still moving through the federal appeals process, has seen the injunction temporarily halted by an appeals court. However, the Supreme Court, on its emergency docket, allowed the injunction to be reinstated while the case continues, suggesting the policy may not survive strict scrutiny under precedent like Mahmoud v. Taylor, which protects parental involvement in their children\u2019s education and mental health decisions. California officials defended the policy as a means of protecting children\u2019s safety and privacy, while the ruling and fee award were praised by the Thomas More Society as a strong rebuke to government overreach.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the court\u2019s actions occur as the justices are considering two petitions-Foote v. Ludlow School Committee and Littlejohn v.School Board of Leon County-that could be taken up in the next term to address broader questions about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-urge-department-of-education-to-stop-secret-gender-transitions-for-students-after-12-year-olds-suicide-attempt\/\" title=\"Republicans Urge Department Of Education To Stop Secret ...s For Students After 12-...-Old\u2019s Suicide Attempt\">secret gender transitions<\/a> in schools.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Judge orders California to pay hefty attorney fees after loss in school <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >secret gender transition case<\/a><\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2548352\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A federal judge ordered <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"60\">California<\/a> officials to pay $4.52 million in attorneys&rsquo; fees to a coalition that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4356755\/judge-rules-california-schools-cant-hide-student-gender-identity-parents\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4356755\/judge-rules-california-schools-cant-hide-student-gender-identity-parents\/\">successfully sued<\/a> over the state&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/eddie-glaude-cadre-of-republicans-refusing-to-accept-the-diversity-of-america\/\" title=\"Eddie Glaude: &#039;Cadre of Republicans&#039; Refusing to &#039;Accept the Diversity of America&#039;\">public school policy<\/a> allowing student gender transitions to be hidden from parents.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, granted the coalition of parents and teachers who sued the state over its public school policy allowing secret gender transitions, which he ruled late last year unconstitutionally hides information about children from their parents, their request for the state to pay attorneys&rsquo; fees. The judge said the price tag was so high because the case began in 2023 and is still moving through a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-court-is-fast-tracking-sidney-powells-request-for-a-forensic-exam-of-dominion-voting-machines\/\" title=\"Federal Court Is Fast-Tracking Sidney Powell\u2019s Request For A Forensic Exam Of Dominion Voting Machines\">federal appeals court<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4511062\/feeding-our-future-fraudster-sentenced-one-year\/\">Feeding Our Future fraudster sentenced to just one year in prison by judge committed to &lsquo;combating racism&rsquo;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4511150\/bondi-taps-us-attorney-who-voted-against-biden-2020-certification-for-election-integrity-role\/\">Bondi taps US attorney who voted against Biden 2020 certification for election integrity role<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4511303\/judge-trump-administration-npr-pbs-funding\/\">Judge blocks Trump administration&#8217;s &#8216;unenforceable&#8217; order to cut NPR and PBS funding<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;The case concerns a very important subject,&rdquo; Benitez wrote in his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.casd.757886\/gov.uscourts.casd.757886.364.0.pdf\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.casd.757886\/gov.uscourts.casd.757886.364.0.pdf\">ruling<\/a> on attorneys&rsquo; fees. &ldquo;State public education policies impinged on families&rsquo; right to the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment. The policies also rejected and subverted the federal constitutional rights of California parents to guide the health and well-being of their school-age children. Such concerns intrude among the most important areas of family life in America&rsquo;s history and tradition.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Benitez also took aim at California officials for tactics in the case that wasted &ldquo;scarce judicial resources,&rdquo; and for their attempt to push two &ldquo;inarguably meritless&rdquo; arguments that were later dropped. The two arguments included insisting that the case was moot until it was eventually shown that state officials were still pushing the unlawful policy, and claiming that the coalition was not the winning party in the case, until the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/supreme-court\/\" type=\"category\" id=\"11310\">Supreme Court<\/a> granted emergency relief to the coalition earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p>Benitez granted a class-wide injunction, effectively striking down the policy statewide, against California officials, meaning they could no longer socially transition a student&rsquo;s gender in school and hide that information from parents.<\/p>\n<p>The policy at the center of the dispute allowed teachers and school employees to let a male student use a female name and pronouns and use the girls&rsquo; bathrooms during school hours and intentionally hide that information from his parents. California officials defended the policy as necessary to protect children, but Benitez said in his December 2025 ruling that &ldquo;such a policy cannot be implemented at the expense of parents&rsquo; constitutional rights.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A federal appeals court halted Benitez&rsquo;s injunction in January, but the Supreme Court on its emergency docket earlier this month allowed Benitez&rsquo;s block of the policy to be reinstated as the case continues in the appeals court. The high court&rsquo;s 6-3 order pointed to its 2025 ruling in&nbsp;<em>Mahmoud v. Taylor<\/em>, which upheld parents&rsquo; rights to opt their children out of LGBT materials at school and found that not permitting such an option violated the free exercise clause of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/first-amendment\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"881\">First Amendment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;California&rsquo;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 of children&rsquo;s best interests: their parents,&rdquo; the Supreme Court&rsquo;s per curiam order said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Under long-established precedent, parents&mdash;not the State&mdash;have primary authority with respect to &lsquo;the upbringing and education of children,&rsquo;&rdquo; the order added. &ldquo;The right protected by these precedents includes the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children&rsquo;s mental health.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Thomas More Society, which has backed the coalition that sued California over its public school policy, heralded the ruling as another major victory in its legal war over the policy in the Golden State and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A $4.5 million fee award sends an unmistakable message to state governments and school districts across the country: if you trample the constitutional rights of parents, you will pay for it&mdash;literally,&rdquo; Peter Breen, executive vice president and head of litigation at Thomas More Society, said in a statement Tuesday.&nbsp;&ldquo;California threw everything it had at this case. It lost at summary judgment, lost at the Supreme Court, and now Californians will foot the bill for their government officials&rsquo; refusal to respect the fundamental rights of families.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4506263\/pressure-mounts-supreme-court-to-hear-case-secret-gender-transitions\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4506263\">PRESSURE MOUNTS ON SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP CASE THAT TESTS SECRET GENDER TRANSITIONS AT SCHOOLS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While the Supreme Court issued an order on its emergency docket on how the justices would likely rule in the case on the merits, the justices have two pending petitions on its merits docket over secret school gender transitions that they could take up in the next term. The court has not yet taken up a secret gender transition case on the merits.<\/p>\n<p>The justices are slated to discuss petitions to hear two cases, <em>Foote v. Ludlow School Committee<\/em> and <em>Littlejohn v. School Board of Leon County<\/em>, during their closed-door conference on Thursday, with a decision on whether they will hear either case as early as Monday morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paraphrase of the article:<br \/>\nU.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ordered California to cover about $4.52 million in attorneys\u2019 fees for the coalition of parents and teachers who sued over the state\u2019s policy that allowed school staff to hide a student\u2019s gender transition from the student\u2019s parents. Benitez noted the case began in 2023 and is still progressing through the federal appeals process, which helped drive up the costs. He described the policy as an intrusion on families\u2019 First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion and on California parents\u2019 authority to oversee their children\u2019s health and education. He also criticized the state for tactics that wasted scarce judicial resources and for pursuing two arguments he deemed meritless and later abandoned. The judge had previously issued a class-wide injunction striking down the policy statewide, barring schools from publicly transitioning a student\u2019s gender or concealing that decision from parents. California defended the policy as protective of children, but Benitez held that it cannot be implemented without infringing parental rights. An appellate court paused the injunction in January, but the Supreme Court later allowed its reinstatement on an emergency basis as the case continues, citing Mahmoud v. Taylor to reinforce parents\u2019 primacy over educational and mental-health decisions and recognizing the right of parents to opt their children out of LGBT materials. The ruling drew praise from the Thomas More Society, which said the fee award sends a clear message that government bodies will be held financially accountable for trampling parental rights. The Supreme Court has two pending merits petitions-Foote v. Ludlow School Committee and Littlejohn v. School Board of Leon County-that could be taken up next term, with a conference on the matter upcoming.<\/p>\n<p>55-character title option:<br \/>\nJudge orders Calif. to pay $4.52M in gender case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2585844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP23156801201327_fbceb3.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[76914,4045,72626,76915,71834],"class_list":["post-2585843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-attorney-fees","tag-california","tag-education-law-2","tag-student-privacy-2","tag-transgender-rights-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP23156801201327_fbceb3.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2585843"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585847,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585843\/revisions\/2585847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2585843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2585843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2585843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}