Eleventh Circuit Rejects Florida Parents’ Suit Over Teen’s Gender Support, Sparks Judicial Clash
A divided Eleventh Circuit panel upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit Wednesday, ruling 2-1 that school officials didn’t violate parents’ rights by crafting a gender support plan for their 13-year-old without their consent.
January and Jeffrey Littlejohn sued the Leon County, Florida, School Board after administrators met with their child—who sought to use a male name and they/them pronouns—and developed the plan, despite the parents’ objections.
Judge Robin Rosenbaum’s majority opinion held that the officials’ executive actions didn’t “shock the conscience” under substantive due process standards, affirming the district court’s 2022 dismissal.
“Even if the Littlejohns felt the efforts were misguided, that doesn’t make them unconstitutional,” she wrote.
But the 169-page ruling ignited a judicial showdown.
Judge Kevin Newsom concurred, blasting the “comically vacuous” shocks-the-conscience test as too lenient on executive overreach and urging the Supreme Court to ditch substantive due process entirely. “Enough is enough,” he declared.
Judge Gerald Tjoflat dissented, arguing the Littlejohns deserved a trial and accusing the majority of overextending a loose standard, sidelining legislative authority.
Rosenbaum defended the doctrine in a 75-page concurrence, insisting it mirrors other constitutional analyses when “applied properly.”
The case, spotlighted by President Trump in his recent congressional address pushing anti-trans policies, saw January Littlejohn alongside First Lady Melania Trump.
The Child and Parental Rights Campaign, representing the family, decried the ruling as a blow to parental rights, hinting at further appeals. The school board stayed silent as the debate over gender, schools, and constitutional limits rages on.
MORE ARTICLES - TAMPA FREE PRESS
- Schumer’s Shutdown Surrender: Backs GOP Bill To Thwart Trump’s ‘Power Grab’
- Trump Admin Asks SCOTUS To Stop Judges From Trying To Govern ‘Whole Nation From Their Courtrooms’
- Florida, Missouri, And Louisiana Sens Intro Communism Teaching Act To Educate Students On Ideology’s Dangers
- EPA’s Zeldin Targets Biden’s EV Rules In Historic Deregulation Push
- EPA Approves Texas Clean-Air Plan To Address Vehicle Emissions
- EPA Admin Lee Zeldin Rips CNN’s ‘Face Plant’ Attempt To Fact Check Climate Deregulation
- Judge Slaps Trump Admin With Order To Rehire Fired Federal Workers In Epic Showdown
- CNBC’s Rick Santelli Reacts To ‘Cooler Than Expected’ Inflation Numbers Under Trump
- Trump’s FEMA Moves To Purge Use Of DEI, Climate Phrases
- EPA Unleashes “Greatest Day Of Deregulatory Action” In U.S. History
- Florida House GOP Pushes To Lower Gun-Buying Age, Repealing Parkland-Era Law
- Trump’s EPA Takes Sledgehammer To Restrictive Biden, Obama-Era Regulations
TAMPA FREE PRESS
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Android Users: Download our free app to stay up-to-date on the latest news.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.