Attorneys with the Thomas More Society have turned to the U.S. Supreme Court with an urgent plea to intervene in a California case that pits state secrecy against family transparency. On Thursday, they filed an emergency application in the ongoing lawsuit Mirabelli v. Bonta, asking the justices to block policies that compel public schools to conceal children’s gender transitions from their parents. This move comes just days after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on a lower court’s injunction, effectively allowing the state’s rules to snap back into place across California’s education system.
The policies in question, rooted in Assembly Bill 1955 signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2024, prohibit school staff from notifying parents if a student expresses a desire to change their gender identity, pronouns, or name at school. Schools must accommodate these changes without parental input, even if families hold strong religious or moral objections. Critics argue this setup not only erodes the foundational bond between parents and children but also forces educators into a web of deception, punishing those who choose honesty over compliance.
The lawsuit began in 2023 when two Christian teachers challenged the rules, claiming they violated their First Amendment rights by requiring them to participate in what they saw as misleading families. By 2024, several parents joined the fray, including a Catholic couple identified as John and Jane Poe. Their junior-high daughter had been treated as male by school staff for almost a year, complete with a new name and pronouns, all without their knowledge. They only discovered the situation after her suicide attempt, a heartbreaking revelation that underscored the potential dangers of such secrecy.
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez delivered a decisive blow to the policies on December 22, 2025, issuing a permanent injunction that halted their enforcement statewide for the certified class of plaintiffs—those with religious or moral objections. He ruled that the state’s approach unconstitutionally interfered with parents’ rights to direct their children’s upbringing and compelled teachers to speak against their beliefs. However, California Attorney General Rob Bonta quickly appealed, and on January 5, 2026, a Ninth Circuit panel granted a stay, citing procedural concerns and mischaracterizing the injunction’s scope as overly broad.
In their Supreme Court filing, the attorneys contend that the Ninth Circuit’s decision ignored key precedents and distorted the record, allowing irreparable harm to continue. “Right now, California’s parental deception scheme is keeping families in the dark and causing irreparable harm,” said Paul M. Jonna, special counsel for the Thomas More Society. “The state is inserting itself unconstitutionally between parents and children, forcing schools to deceive families, and punishing teachers who tell the truth.” The team has also requested an en banc review from the full Ninth Circuit, signaling their determination to fight on multiple fronts.
This isn’t the first time California’s education mandates have sparked backlash. Similar policies have faced scrutiny in other states, with courts increasingly siding with parental rights. For instance, a federal judge in Kansas ruled in 2025 that schools cannot withhold gender-related information from parents, echoing arguments in Mirabelli. Meanwhile, advocates point to broader patterns, suggesting these rules form part of a concerted effort by progressive lawmakers to sideline traditional family structures, potentially exposing vulnerable children to influences without oversight.
From a faith perspective, the case resonates deeply with those who view parenting as a divine responsibility. Scriptures like Proverbs 22:6—”Train up a child in the way he should go”—remind believers of the duty to guide their offspring, a role the state seems eager to usurp. The Poes’ story, where their daughter’s crisis unfolded in shadows, serves as a stark warning: when government steps in as the primary authority, the fallout can be devastating and irreversible.
As the Supreme Court weighs this emergency request, families across California hang in the balance. If the justices act swiftly, they could restore a measure of sanity to schools, affirming that parents, not bureaucrats, hold the reins on their children’s well-being. Without intervention, the policies risk entrenching a system where secrecy trumps trust, leaving more parents blindsided and more children adrift in confusion. The outcome could set a national tone, either curbing state overreach or emboldening similar measures elsewhere.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.