Imagine your child’s rights are a safety net and that safety net just got a giant hole ripped through it.
On June 27th, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that if a school or federal
agency breaks the law, a judge can only stop it for the specific families who sue.
Everyone else stays at risk even if the harm is obvious.
NOTE: I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice. I am sharing my perspective as an advocate.
What Just Happened?
On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. CASA that federal courts can no longer issue nationwide injunctions, unless the lawsuit is filed as a certified
class action (which is expensive, slow, and rare).
Translation:
1. Judges can’t block illegal federal policies for everyone anymore.
2. They can only protect the specific people who sued.
Why This Matters
Before this ruling, if the
government (or your school district) did something unlawful, a federal judge could pause that policy nationwide, buying time and protection for families everywhere.
That legal “pause button” is now gone.
And who’s most likely to lose?
> Families who can’t afford to sue.
>
Parents already overwhelmed by IEP battles.
> Children whose rights now vary from state to state.
As Justice Sotomayor warned:
“No right is safe… unless you are in the lawsuit.”
What This Can Mean for Your Family
- Before this ruling, if a school
policy violated IDEA, one family’s lawsuit could stop that policy for all students.
Now? That protection only applies to the family in the lawsuit. So your school can keep doing the same thing, unless you sue too. - A harmful federal rule can take effect even
if it’s illegal unless a class action stops it.
- This ruling weakens one of the last tools we had to stop systemic harm quickly.
What You Can Do
This is a major shift. But we don’t panic we organize.
✔️ Document everything: missed services, denials, IEP violations.
✔️ Talk to other families: You might be stronger together.
✔️ Call Congress: Demand they restore court protections.
✔️ Know your state laws: Your rights may now vary by location.
✔️ Act early: Don’t wait until things escalate. Seek help.
✔️ Protect your energy: This is long-haul advocacy. Rest matters.
Final Word
This decision didn’t just weaken a legal tool.
It sent a message: You’re on your own unless you fight.
But here’s the truth: We’re not on our own. Not really.
We show up for our kids, and for each other.
We keep
pushing. We keep documenting.
We keep organizing family by family, voice by voice until rights aren't a privilege. It’s a promise for everyone.
We ain't going back!
