On February 5th, the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), a non-profit legal aid organization based in California, held an online briefing covering topics such as parental rights, the significance of the Supreme Court’s parental “opt-out” ruling, the impact of California’s AB495 bill, and the successful outcome of a wrongful invasion case in a Texas school district.
The briefing featured talks by PJI founder and president Brad Dacus, California attorney Matt McReynolds, New Jersey attorney Karen White, and pastor Peter Mordh, aiming to provide clear explanations rather than commentary.
With 36 offices nationwide, Dacus expressed optimism about the advancements made in parental rights advocacy over the past year, stating, “We have seen more proactive breakthroughs in parental rights in the past year than in my over thirty years of legal work, which is very encouraging.”
In a significant victory announced on January 21st, PJI secured a major win for their client in a retaliatory lawsuit against the Marlin Independent School District in Texas, resulting in a $7.5 million settlement for the client.
The legal battle stemmed from the postponement of the graduation ceremony by Marlin Superintendent Darryl Henson on May 22, 2023, which led to public criticism by parents Monica Johnson, Clifford Jones, and others, culminating in a petition for Henson’s removal.
Subsequently, the school officials retaliated against the families, expelling them from public meetings, issuing criminal trespass warnings, barring their entry to school premises for a year, manipulating their children’s grades and rankings, and denying them speaking roles at the graduation ceremony.
Both parents received cease-and-desist letters, threatening legal action if they continued discussing their experiences in the district publicly, raising concerns about the protection of free political speech and the right to criticize government officials.
The lawsuit was based on a federal civil rights law in the U.S. Code, the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution, and provisions of the Rehabilitation Act, enabling individuals to sue government officials for violating their rights.
During the trial, the jury heard testimonies confirming that almost all senior students met the graduation requirements, contradicting the claim that only five students qualified.
After over three years of litigation, the jury ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding a total of $7,546,465 in damages, including $3,753,437 in punitive damages against Henson and a fine of $254,762 against school district officer John Simmons.
In a press release, PJI stated that this outcome “represents a complete repudiation of the unlawful retaliation against speaking parents and students by school officials,” affirming a crucial principle for all Americans that the government cannot punish citizens for exercising their constitutional rights.
Dacus viewed this as a significant victory for parents and students nationwide, emphasizing that the verdict sends a clear message that public officials cannot abuse their power to intimidate parents and penalize vocal students, stressing that the district’s responsibility is to educate children, not to intimidate families seeking accountability.
The briefing also discussed the “Mahmoud v. Taylor” case in Montgomery County, Maryland, involving the rights of public school parents.
In October 2022, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved the use of books containing transgender identity and sexual orientation content in English classes from preschool to 5th grade, initially allowing parents to opt their children out. By March 2023, the board revoked the notice and opt-out policy due to concerns about high absenteeism, classroom disruptions, and administrative burdens.
Three groups of parents, including Roman Catholics, Ukrainian Orthodox, and Muslims, sued the board and district director Thomas Taylor, with the district court rejecting their claims, upheld by the appellate court.
In June 2025, the Supreme Court justices ruled 6:3 in favor of the parents, allowing them to exercise their rights to religious belief and educating their children, stating that when the government mandates children to engage in learning against their family’s religious beliefs, it burdens parents’ ability to practice their faith.
The ruling has broad implications and may involve curriculum such as sex education, transgender or gender identity issues, critical race theory, woke culture, and evolution, among others.
At the briefing, Dacus emphasized that schools must provide advance notice and the opportunity for parents to opt-out; as parents, it is crucial to take action by informing the school at the start of the year about which courses, programs, subjects, assemblies, and activities they do not want their children to participate in. If parents realize this later in the school year, they should notify the school immediately.
Attorney White mentioned a case in New Jersey where a parent submitted a public records request to determine how many parents opted out in their district, which can serve as evidence to inform schools and districts about parental choices.
Regarding vaccine mandates in New York for children attending public schools, impacting the Amish community who oppose mandatory vaccinations, the federal court in New York ruled that state law does not grant religious exemptions, a decision supported by the appellate court. However, following the “Mahmoud v. Taylor” ruling, the Supreme Court expressed interest in a reconsideration.
Governor Newsom signed the AB495 bill in October last year, with some provisions taking effect on April 1 and the rest on July 1. Supporters claimed the law was aimed at protecting immigrant families from separation and ensuring children have caretakers if parents are detained, incarcerated, or encounter emergencies.
A committee in California pointed out that the law poses a direct threat to parental rights, allowing non-family members to submit guardianship documents without parental signature, taking children away, or making medical decisions without parental consent. The law does not require identification or disclosure of where the children will be taken.
The legislation also includes “hidden benefits” for school districts, staff, and healthcare personnel, provided they were unaware of divergent parental intentions, discouraging children from leaving with unfamiliar individuals solely based on an uncertified affidavit. McReynolds mentioned a parental notification form designed to specify that non-emergency contacts cannot take children away.
He proposed that districts require individuals seeking to take students to present identification and ensure they are authorized emergency contacts. He suggested having at least six emergency contacts to avoid situations where the school reaches only one contact claiming they could not locate others.
During his speech, Pastor Mordh referenced the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing the Declaration of Independence as its foundation, rooted in divine laws above national laws, with religious equality and freedom originating from Christian nations. The federal government has acknowledged pastors’ rights to express any content during worship services or through means of communication like email.
He urged everyone to participate in a national day of prayer on May 17 to proclaim a return to the roots of a Christian nation, indicating that PJI has organized or sponsored at least 26 events in 2026 to encourage public engagement during midterm elections and promote a return to tradition.