by Jorge Gomez, Director of Content Strategy • 2 minutes
On Dec. 7, we will argue International Partners for Ethical Care v. Ferguson, a case that impacts two important issues for American families: parental rights and religious liberty.
We’re representing parents who believe it’s their right and responsibility to raise their kids consistent with their beliefs.
We are challenging a Washington state law that says the government can hide runaway children—from any state—from their parents and facilitate “gender-affirming” treatment without parental notice or consent.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that parents can’t challenge the law until after the damage is done. In other words, the 9th Circuit threw their case out, holding that they lacked standing to sue at all.
We’ll make our case to the Supreme Court to reverse that alarming decision—and protect parents and their children before it’s too late.
The implications of this case are vast. Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, publicly stated that the underlying legal questions of this case are of “great and growing national importance.”
The outcome will impact families far beyond Washington. Winning this case can ensure that parents across America are not kept in the dark.
“Parents should not have to wait until their children are irreparably harmed to seek protection from courts,” says First Liberty Senior Counsel Ryan Gardner. “No family should face the terror of having their children run away to the state and then have those children hidden from them.”
This case is an opportunity for the Supreme Court to make clear that parents have a legally protected right to direct the upbringing of their children and to be involved in the most consequential decisions in their lives.
Record Number of Supreme Court Cases Pending
First Liberty is engaged at the Supreme Court at a level we have never seen before.
Thanks to God’s favor, we have not just one, but two cases at the Supreme Court that will be argued over the next couple of months.
The second case will be heard on Jan. 20. Missionaries of St. John the Baptist v. Frederic is an incredible opportunity to protect the property rights of houses of worship and religious groups across America.
Plus, we have six additional cases pending—and more are on the way.
Supreme Court cases require tremendous resources.
And because the need to fight cases at the Supreme Court level is greater than it has ever been, we launched a special SUPREME COURT DEFENSE FUND.
Your generosity is mission-critical right now—especially as we prepare for upcoming court dates.
These cases are an opportunity to win for our clients, set precedent, and change the future of religious freedom in our country. We cannot afford to retreat from these battles—not now. They are evidence of the continued escalation of the attack on religious liberty.
This is no time to ease up. We must seize this moment or risk watching hard-won protections disappear. Your support is urgent right now so we can fight—and win—these monumental Supreme Court battles.
