Summary of facts: A mother seeks to represent her minor children in challenging a California school district that she alleges engaged in racial discrimination while her children were enrolled. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit held that parents do not have a right to represent their children in court and must hire an attorney.

RFI’s position: Even if the government has a legitimate interest in ensuring that children receive competent representation, such an interest does not outweigh parents’ fundamental right to decide how their children’s interests are represented. For many parents of faith, the exercise of that right has religious dimensions that will be threatened if the lower courts’ holdings are allowed to stand. The Supreme Court should agree to hear the case and settle the dispute among the federal and state courts on this matter.

Read the brief here.