The US Supreme Court has ruled that California school policies that prevent teachers from sharing students' preferred gender identities with their parents have been violated, following a lawsuit brought by two Escondido middle school teachers. The court lifted a stay on a federal judge's ruling that the policies were violated, which was challenged on religious grounds and argued that students whose gender identities are shared with parents could face significant harm if they live in unsupportive home environments. The ruling allows the state to protect children from potential discrimination, abuse, and harassment. However, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, who dissented, said the court's decision was too rashly.