8-1 Supreme Court Ruling Revives Challenge to Washington Counseling Law

A Washington state law restricting certain counseling conversations with minors is facing a renewed First Amendment challenge after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving a similar Colorado law. Christian marriage and family counselor Brian Tingley originally challenged Washington’s law, arguing that it violated his free speech rights by restricting how licensed counselors can respond to minor clients seeking counseling related to gender identity or sexuality. Federal courts previously rejected Tingley’s challenge, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case in 2023. But the legal landscape changed after an 8-1 Supreme Court ruling involving a similar Colorado counseling law, according to Tingley’s attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom. Tingley’s case has now been reopened, and a preliminary injunction allows him to counsel clients consistent with his beliefs and their stated goals while the litigation continues. Washington In Focus Daily breaks down the renewed court fight, the First Amendment arguments and what the case could mean for Washington’s counseling restrictions. #WashingtonState #FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech #SupremeCourt #GenderIdentity #Counseling #BrianTingley #ADF #AllianceDefendingFreedom #ParentalRights #WashingtonLaw #FederalCourt #WApolitics #WashingtonNews #WashingtonInFocus #TheCenterSquare