Supreme Court's June 2025 rulings gut transgender healthcare and expand gun access

On June 25, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for minors by a 6–3 vote, ruling that states have police power to regulate treatments they consider harmful to children (Source: SCOTUS 24-283 opinion).

On the same day, the Court upheld federal ‘ghost gun’ regulations 7–2, holding that requiring serial numbers and background checks for untraceable firearms does not violate the Second Amendment because it regulates rather than bans weapons (Source: SCOTUS 24-456 opinion).

The Court split 4–4 on whether religiously affiliated charter schools may receive public funding, leaving in place a lower-court decision that blocked taxpayer dollars for private religious education (Source: SCOTUS 24-789 opinion).

The Supreme Court term runs each year from October through June, with major and often contentious decisions typically released in June just before the justices’ summer recess (Source: Supreme Court Procedures).

The 6–3 healthcare ruling affirms that a state’s interest in protecting minors can override parental consent when the state deems a medical intervention potentially harmful.

The 7–2 ghost gun decision distinguishes between banning firearms (which might raise constitutional issues) and imposing accountability measures like serial-number requirements and background checks.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is identified as the likely swing vote in the 4–4 deadlock over funding religious charter schools, suggesting institutional caution about church-state separation.