TMS WEEKLY DISPATCH 1/30/26
Here’s the latest news from the past week at Thomas More Society, in our legal battles defending life, family, and freedom.
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Welcome to the TMS Weekly Dispatch for January 30, 2026—with the latest news and updates from the front line, to keep you in-the-know on all things Thomas More Society. After a short winter hiatus, we’ve moved the Dispatch to Fridays to provide you the best weekly recap possible!
Here’s the latest from the past week:
NEW UPDATES IN MIRABELLI V. BONTA:
Thomas More Society is pursuing appellate relief in Mirabelli v. Bonta following a Ninth Circuit stay of a landmark district court ruling that permanently blocked California's gender secrecy policies in public schools, which were deemed unconstitutional for violating parental rights and teachers' religious freedoms.
After the Ninth Circuit hit pause on the victory, allowing the policies to remain in place, attorneys filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate the injunction, emphasizing the state's overreach in excluding parents from important information about their own children and forcing teachers to deceive families.
Paul Jonna, TMS Special Counsel, likened California's "balanced" approach to parents' rights to McDonald's treatment of cows, pointing out the lack of evidence supporting harm from parental involvement. Support for the case has poured in, with three states and over 75 organizations and advocates filing amicus briefs urging the Supreme Court to restore parental authority and halt the policies' enforcement.
Catch up on the latest Mirabelli news below:
FEDERAL COURT ALLOWS FREE SPEECH LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY NEW JERSEY MOM AGAINST DHS, TSA, AND LOCAL POLICE TO MOVE FORWARD: What began as a New Jersey mom expressing concerns on Facebook about “polysexuality” and transgender posters displayed to her kids at a local elementary school spiraled into police intimidation, secret military coordination, federal “threat-tagging,” and repeated airport harassment. Now, almost three years after the case was filed, a federal court has ruled that key claims in her lawsuit may proceed.
“We plan on further uncovering how multiple state and federal officials worked together to target a private citizen for exercising her constitutional rights in standing up for family values. This should concern every American parent who fears government retaliation for defending their children and expressing disagreement with inappropriate, anti-family propaganda being foisted upon them at school,” explained Christopher Ferrara, TMS Senior Counsel.
INDIANA SUPREME COURT ASKED TO RESTORE PUBLIC ACCESS TO TERMINATED PREGNANCY REPORTS: Thomas More Society has petitioned the Indiana Supreme Court on behalf of Voices for Life, an Indiana-based pro-life advocacy group, to revive efforts to restore public access to Terminated Pregnancy Reports (TPRs), records required by the Indiana legislature to enforce the state’s pro-life laws, understand maternal health outcomes, and ensure citizens can meaningfully participate in public policy debates.
Read the Petition here.
HHS FINDS ILLINOIS ABORTION REFERRAL MANDATE VIOLATES FEDERAL LAW IN RESPONSE TO THOMAS MORE SOCIETY COMPLAINT: Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights issued a formal Notice of Violation finding that Illinois’ abortion referral mandate violates federal law prohibiting discrimination against healthcare providers who refuse to participate in abortion.
Illinois has 30 days to come into compliance with federal conscience protections or risk losing federal healthcare funding.
HHS’ determination was issued in direct responses to complaints Thomas More Society filed in 2018, offering critical support for our ongoing appeal in Schroeder v. Treto, which challenges the abortion mandate on constitutional grounds. If successful, the case will establish binding precedent protecting the First Amendment rights of pro-life healthcare providers.
TMS AT MARCH FOR LIFE 2026: Last week, the Thomas More Society team traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 53rd annual March for Life, sending a clear message to legislators and the abortion lobby: Every Life Deserves a Defense.
