News from the South - Florida News Feed
Lawsuit targeting WA law meant to protect trans youth in crisis is dismissed on appeal
by Jerry Cornfield, Florida Phoenix
July 29, 2025
Parents trying to overturn a Washington law protecting runaway transgender youth have hit another roadblock in federal court.
A three-judge appeals court panel on Friday unanimously dismissed a constitutional challenge to the 2023 statute, which allows operators of emergency shelters to notify state authorities, rather than parents, when children seek refuge as they pursue gender-affirming care and support services.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco upheld a lower court ruling that concluded those challenging the law lacked legal standing to sue because they could not prove they suffered actual or imminent harm from the statute. The plaintiffs who brought the case included several parents whose teenage children exhibited signs of gender dysphoria, but were not runaways, and two nonprofits that oppose gender-affirming care for children.
In a statement, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s office said, “We are pleased that the court saw through this politicized attempt to create a case where none existed.”
America First Legal Foundation, counsel for the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The conservative legal organization was founded by Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for President Donald Trump.
State law calls for parents to be notified within 72 hours of their child’s arrival at an emergency shelter unless there are “compelling reasons” not to do so. If there are signs of abuse or neglect, for example, shelter staff are to inform the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families, which would take the lead on reaching out to parents.
The court fight is over Senate Bill 5599, which expanded the list of compelling reasons to cover situations when a young person feels they could be subject to abuse or neglect because they are pursuing gender-affirming care or reproductive health services. The law’s passage incensed conservatives, who said it was an attack on parental rights.
America First Legal Foundation sued in August 2023, days after opponents of the law failed to gather enough signatures to get a referendum on the ballot.
The lawsuit argued the statute “deprives certain parents — but not all parents — of their fundamental right under the U.S. Constitution to direct the care and upbringing of their children, as well as their rights to the free exercise of religion, due process, free speech, and equal protection.”
‘Radical transgenderism’
Miller, in a statement issued at the time the suit was filed, said his group was “leading the courtroom charge against radical transgenderism and the sexual exploitation of our children by militant gender activists.” He added: “No state action more frighteningly illustrates the threat to our children than this law.”
International Partners for Ethical Care Inc. and Advocates Protecting Children joined the parents as plaintiffs.
After the state responded that the plaintiffs lacked standing, America First Legal amended its complaint to broaden the original challenge. That didn’t work.
In May 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan dismissed the suit, citing the plaintiffs’ lack of standing.
The Ninth Circuit panel of judges agreed. Judge Milan D. Smith Jr., a 2006 appointee of President George W. Bush, authored Friday’s appellate decision. Circuit Judges Sidney R. Thomas and Daniel A. Bress joined in the opinion.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
The post Lawsuit targeting WA law meant to protect trans youth in crisis is dismissed on appeal appeared first on floridaphoenix.com
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The content presents a factual account of a legal case involving a Washington state law that protects transgender youth seeking gender-affirming care. It highlights the court’s dismissal of a conservative challenge and includes statements from both sides, though it frames the conservative opposition in a critical light by using terms like “radical transgenderism” in quotes and emphasizing the legal and social protections for transgender youth. The overall tone and focus on upholding transgender rights and criticizing conservative efforts suggest a center-left perspective.
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