TMS WEEKLY DISPATCH 12/29/25

Welcome to the TMS Weekly Dispatch for December 29, 2025—with the latest news and updates from the front line, to keep you in-the-know on all things Thomas More Society. We wish you a blessed Christmastide and Happy New Year! If you missed last week’s edition, you can read it here.   

Here’s the latest from the past week: 

MAJOR VICTORY IN LANDMARK PARENTAL RIGHTS CASE CHALLENGING CALIFORNIA’S GENDER SECRECY REGIME: Just days before Christmas, on December 22, Thomas More Society achieved a historic victory in Mirabelli v. Olson, ending California’s gender secrecy policies (or “Parental Exclusion Policies”) and restoring transparency and parental involvement in public education.

The decision and federal court order issuing a class-wide permanent injunction—issued by U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez—secures justice not only for teachers Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori West who began the lawsuit, but for all parents and teachers harmed by these policies statewide.

“Today’s incredible victory finally, and permanently, ends California’s dangerous and unconstitutional regime of gender secrecy policies in schools,” said Paul M. Jonna, Special Counsel at Thomas More Society and Partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP. “The Court’s comprehensive ruling—granting summary judgment on all claims—protects all California parents, students, and teachers, and it restores sanity and common sense. With this decisive ruling from Judge Benitez, all state and local school officials that mandate gender secrecy policies should cease all enforcement or face severe legal consequences.”

However, this legal battle is not over yet…

CALIFORNIA IS ALREADY FIGHTING BACK, TRYING TO UNDO THIS VICTORY: Rather than accept this ruling and restore parents’ Fundamental rights, California officials are doing everything they can to undo this victory. State attorneys first rushed back to Judge Benitez asking him to stay his own ruling—he denied their request in a 5-page order. Now they’ve escalated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, again seeking an emergency stay of the injunction while they appeal. A decision on that request is pending.

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Our legal team anticipated this response. We are vigorously opposing California’s stay motion and preparing comprehensive appellate briefs to defend this landmark ruling. We will not allow California’s government gender ideologues to delay justice for parents and teachers any longer.

If California succeeds in staying or overturning this ruling, schools across the state could resume secretly “transitioning” children without parental knowledge. Teachers who refuse to deceive parents could once again face termination. And the message to other states would be clear: you can trample parental rights with impunity.

The Ninth Circuit’s decision on California's stay request could come by January 6. If the stay is denied, the injunction remains in force and parents’ rights are protected while the full appeal proceeds. If granted, we face a longer fight—but one we are fully prepared to wage. Either way, this case is headed for a full appellate showdown, and Thomas More Society will be there every step of the way.

MIRABELLI MEDIA ROUND-UP: Read this week’s biggest stories about Mirabelli v. Olson.