Decided

No. 24-297

Tamer Mahmoud, et al. v. Thomas W. Taylor, et al.

from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

See other cases from the Fourth Circuit.

Docket Entries

Judgment Issued.

Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Alito, J., delivered the <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-297_4f14.pdf'>opinion</a> of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, JJ., joined. Thomas, J., filed a concurring opinion. Sotomayor, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Kagan and Jackson, JJ., joined.

Argued. For petitioners: Eric S. Baxter, Washington, D. C.; and Sarah M. Harris, Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) For respondents: Alan E. Schoenfeld, New York, N. Y.

Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.

Reply of petitioners Tamer Mahmoud, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Lebo Pride, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amicus curiae of Robert D. Kamenshine filed. (Distributed)

Brief amicus curiae of Freedom From Religion Foundation filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Justin Driver, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amicus curiae of PEN American Center, Inc. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Scholars for the Advancement of Children's Constitutional Rights, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of American Atheists, Inc., et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of American Psychological Association, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Professor Lawrence G. Sager, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Leadership Conference Education Fund, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of American Civil Liberties Union, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of National Education Association, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Constitutional Scholars filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Authors Guild, Inc., et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Muslim Organizations filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Maryland, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Montgomery County Faith Leaders filed. (Distributed)

Brief amicus curiae of Coalition for Responsible Home Education filed. (Distributed)

Brief amicus curiae of Interfaith Alliance filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Religious and Civil-Rights Organizations filed. (Distributed)

Brief of respondents Thomas W. Taylor, et al. filed. (Distributed)

CIRCULATED

Motion of the Acting Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.

Brief amici curiae of Professor Douglas Laycock, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Muslim Parents, et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of America First Legal Foundation filed.

Brief amici curiae of State of West Virginia, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of 35 Maryland Legislators filed.

Brief amici curiae of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Legal Insurrection Foundation filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Sutherland Institute filed.

Brief amici curiae of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, et al. supporting neither party filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Melissa Moschella, Ph.D. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Protect Our Kids (California), et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Ethics and Public Policy Center filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Women's Liberation Front filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Parents Defending Education filed.

Brief amici curiae of Maryland Family Institute, et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Center for American Liberty filed.

Brief amici curiae of National Religious Broadcasters, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Professors S. Ernie Walton, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Defense of Freedom Institute For Policy Studies, et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Tammy Fournier filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Liberty Counsel filed.

Brief amicus curiae of American Center for Law and Justice filed.

Brief amici curiae of Christian Legal Society, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Law Professors filed.

Brief amici curiae of Parent Nicholas Brown, et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Foundation for Moral Law filed.

Brief amici curiae of NC Values Institute, et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Nathan Lewin filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Independence Law Center filed.

Brief amici curiae of America's Future, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Manhattan Institute, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Advancing American Freedom, et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of California Parents for the Equalization of Educational Materials in support of neither party filed. VIDED.

Brief amici curiae of America's Frontline Doctors, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Our Duty–USA and Partners for Ethical Care filed.

Brief amici curiae of 66 Members of Congress filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Americans for Prosperity Foundation filed.

Brief amicus curiae of LONANG Institute filed.

Brief of petitioners Tamer Mahmoud, et al. filed.

Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)

Brief of Tamer Mahmoud, et al. not accepted for filing. (March 04, 2025--Reprinted brief and PDF submitted.)

Brief amici curiae of Jaco Booyens Ministries, et al. filed.

Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Record received from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The record is electronic and is available on PACER.

SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Petition GRANTED.

DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/17/2025.

Reply of petitioners Tamer Mahmoud, et al. filed. (Distributed)

DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/10/2025.

Waiver of the 14-day waiting period for the distribution of the petition pursuant to Rule 15.5 filed by petitioners.

Brief of respondents Thomas Taylor, et al. in opposition filed.

Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including December 18, 2024.

Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 18, 2024 to December 18, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.

Response Requested. (Due November 18, 2024)

Brief amicus curiae of America First Legal Foundation filed.

Brief amici curiae of Parents Nicholas Brown, et al. filed.

DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/1/2024.

Brief amici curiae of West Virginia, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Protect the First Foundation, et al. filed.

Brief amicus curiae of NC Values Institute filed.

Brief amici curiae of America's Future, et al. filed.

Brief amici curiae of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Waiver of right of respondent Thomas Taylor, et al. to respond filed.

Brief amicus curiae of Christian Legal Society filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Douglas Laycock, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Professor S. Ernie Walton, et al. filed. (Distributed)

Brief amici curiae of Advancing American Freedom, et al. filed.

Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 16, 2024)

Application (24A94) granted by The Chief Justice extending the time to file until September 12, 2024.

Application (24A94) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from August 13, 2024 to September 12, 2024, submitted to The Chief Justice.

Parties

Tamer Mahmoud, et al., Petitioner, represented by Eric S. Baxter

Thomas Taylor, et al., Respondent, represented by Alan Evan Schoenfeld

Amici Curiae

35 Maryland Legislators, Amicus Curiae, represented by Edward Mark Wenger

66 Members of Congress, Amicus Curiae, represented by Erik S. Jaffe

AASA, The School Superintendents Association, et al., Amicus Curiae, represented by John Arak Freedman

Advancing American Freedom, Amicus Curiae, represented by John Marc Wheat

America First Legal Foundation, Amicus Curiae, represented by Christopher E. Mills

American Atheists, Secular Student Alliance, Secular Coalition for America, Amicus Curiae, represented by Geoffrey Thomas Blackwell

American Center for Law & Justice, Amicus Curiae, represented by Jay Alan Sekulow

American Center for Law & Justice, Amicus Curiae, represented by Walter M. Weber

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF MARYLAND, Amicus Curiae, represented by Daniel Mach

American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, Amicus Curiae, represented by Jessica Ring Amunson

Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Amicus Curiae, represented by Cynthia Fleming Crawford

America's Frontline Doctors, Amicus Curiae, represented by David Anthony Dalia

America's Future, Citizens United Foundation, Public Advocate of the United States, U.S. Constitutional Rights Legal Defense Fund, Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation, and Conservative Legal Defense and Education Fund, Amicus Curiae, represented by William Jeffrey Olson

America's Future, U.S. Constitutional Rights Legal Def. Fund, Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation, and Conservative Legal Def. and Education Fund, Amicus Curiae, represented by William Jeffrey Olson

Amicus Curiae, Amicus Curiae, represented by Michael P. Farris

Authors Guild, Inc., Educational Book & Media Association, and Penguin Random House LLC, Amicus Curiae, represented by Marc Aaron Fuller

California Parents for the Equalization of Educational Materials, Amicus Curiae, represented by Glenn Michael Katon

Center for American Liberty, Amicus Curiae, represented by Dale Michael Schowengerdt

Christian Legal Society, Amicus Curiae, represented by Eric W. Treene

Coalition for Responsible Home Education, Amicus Curiae, represented by Joseph James Poppen

Defense of Freedom Institute For Policy Studies, Jillian Balow, Michael DiMatteo, Patrick Garrison, Claudine "Beanie" Geoghegan, Nathan Gwinn, Mark Lendhardt, Tammy Rae McMahon-Goran, Paul Rossi, Dicky Shanor and Mitchell M. Zais, Amicus Curiae, represented by Donald A. Daugherty Jr.

Douglas Laycock, Richard W. Garnett, Helen M. Alvaré, Thomas C. Berg, and Michael W. McConnell, Amicus Curiae, represented by Christopher E. Mills

Ethics and Public Policy Center, Amicus Curiae, represented by Eric Nieuwenhuis Kniffin

Foundation for Moral Law, Amicus Curiae, represented by Roy Stewart Moore

Frederick M. Gedicks, Steven Green, B. Jessie Hill, Richard B. Katskee, Ira C. Lupu, William P. Marshall, Richard C. Schragger, Micah Schwartzman, Elizabeth W. Sepper, Robert W. Tuttle, and Laura Underkuffler, Amicus Curiae, represented by Joshua Adam Matz

Freedom From Religion Foundation, Amicus Curiae, represented by Samuel Troxell Grover

GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, The National Center for Lesbian Rights, Human Rights Campaign, Family Equality, COLAGE, FreeState Justice Inc., GLSEN, and The Trevor Project, Amicus Curiae, represented by Mary L. Bonauto

Independence Law Center, Amicus Curiae, represented by Randall L. Wenger

Interfaith Alliance, Amicus Curiae, represented by James Connolly Dugan

Jaco Booyens Ministries, Ilonka Deaton, Tami Brown Rodriquez, and Truth in Education, Amicus Curiae, represented by Frank J. Wright

Law Professors, Amicus Curiae, represented by Natalie Carter Rhoads

Lebo Pride, Education Law Center Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Youth Congress Foundation, Amicus Curiae, represented by Susan J. Frietsche

Legal Insurrection Foundation, Amicus Curiae, represented by Eric Alan Hudson

Liberty Counsel, Amicus Curiae, represented by Mathew D. Staver

Manhattan Institute and Seven Psychologists, Amicus Curiae, represented by Ilya Shapiro

Maryland Family Institute, Hawaii Family Forum, Alabama Policy Institute, Massachusetts Family Institute, Alaska Family Council, Center for Christian Virtue (Ohio), Nebraska Family Alliance, New York Families Foundation, The Family Foundation (Virginia), The Family Foundation (Kentucky), Kansas Family Voice, and Louisiana Family Forum, Amicus Curiae, represented by Helen M. Alvare

Maryland, Massachusetts, Sixteen Other States, and the District of Columbia, Amicus Curiae, represented by Joshua Morris Segal

Melissa Moschella, Ph.D., Amicus Curiae, represented by Robert P. George

Montgomery County Faith Leaders, Amicus Curiae, represented by Meaghan Elizabeth McLaine VerGow

Muslim Organizations, Amicus Curiae, represented by Z. Gabriel Arkles

Muslim Parents, Sheikhs, and Imams, Amicus Curiae, represented by Steven Timothy Collis

Nathan Lewin, Amicus Curiae, represented by Nathan Lewin

National Education Association et al., Amicus Curiae, represented by Alice Margaret O'Brien

National Religious Broadcasters, Amicus Curiae, represented by Michael P. Farris

NC Values Institute, Amicus Curiae, represented by Deborah Dewart

Our Duty–USA and Partners for Ethical Care, Amicus Curiae, represented by Mary Elizabeth McAlister

Parents Defending Education, Amicus Curiae, represented by John Michael Connolly

Parents Nicholas Brown, Zeina El Debs, Timothy Janss, Dagmar Janss, and Stephanie Pate, Amicus Curiae, represented by Frederick W. Claybrook Jr.

PEN American Center, Inc., Amicus Curiae, represented by Linda Jane Steinman

Professor Lawrence G. Sager and Professor Nelson Tebbe, Amicus Curiae, represented by Rachel Gabrielle Miller-Ziegler

Professors Douglas Laycock, Richard W. Garnett, Thomas C. Berg, Michael W. McConnell, and David Smolin, Amicus Curiae, represented by Christopher E. Mills

Professors Justin Driver and Eugene Volokh, Amicus Curiae, represented by Amanda Flug Davidoff

Professors S. Ernie Walton and Eric A. Degroff, Amicus Curiae, represented by Christopher Theodore Holinger

Protect Our Kids (California), Colorado Parents Advocacy Network, Protect Ohio Children Coalition, Nebraskans for Founders’ Values and Texas Education 911, Amicus Curiae, represented by Thomas L. Brejcha Jr.

Protect the First Foundation; The Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty; The Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team; Carmilla Tatel; Gretchen Melton; Stacy Dunn, Amicus Curiae, represented by Gene Clayton Schaerr

Religious and Civil-Rights Organizations, Amicus Curiae, represented by Alexandra Dorothy Zaretsky

Robert D. Kamenshine, Amicus Curiae, represented by Robert D Kamenshine

Scholars for the Advancement of Children's Constitutional Rights and Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, Amicus Curiae, represented by Catherine E. Smith

State of West Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia, and 23 Other States, Amicus Curiae, represented by Michael Ray Williams

State of West Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia, and 24 Other States, Amicus Curiae, represented by Michael Ray Williams

Sutherland Institute, Amicus Curiae, represented by William C. Duncan

Tammy Fournier, Amicus Curiae, represented by John J. Bursch

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, et al., Amicus Curiae, represented by Richard Shawn Gunnarson

The Leadership Conference Education Fund; PFLAG, Inc.; National Women's Law Center; Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Amicus Curiae, represented by Karen Lee Loewy

The Lonang Institute, Amicus Curiae, represented by Kerry Lee Morgan

United States, Amicus Curiae, represented by D. John Sauer

Women's Liberation Front, Amicus Curiae, represented by Elspeth Benten Cypher

 
Last updated: April 18, 2026