Permissibility of Reasoned Disagreement

This week, Jamie and Lauren are joined by three guests pushing back against ideological capture in law, psychology, and education. Cori will be back next week.🏛️ SCOTUS: Mirabelli v. BontaThe Supreme Court issued an emergency order vacating the Ninth Circuit’s stay of a district court injunction — protecting parents from California’s gender-identity nondisclosure policies in schools. Justice Barrett’s concurrence noted the Ninth Circuit had demonstrably misconstrued the Court’s recent holding in Mahmoud v. Taylor. A major win for parental rights.Cert Watch A decision on whether to grant cert in Littlejohn has been postponed. Foote v. Ludlow School Committee remains pending — a decision could come soon. Recommended Reading “The Emergency Docket’s Critics Have It Backwards” — Stephanie Barclay, SCOTUSblog (March 6, 2026) 🔗 Read it hereGuestsLaura Powell — Mother, attorney, investigator, and founder of Californians for Good Governance, a nonpartisan organization advocating for civil liberties and government accountability. Her work has earned national media coverage, been cited in federal investigations, and contributed to the repeal of an unconstitutional state law. She recently testified before Congress on violations of parents’ rights in California schools. 🔗 X: @LauraPowellEsq | @CA4GovernanceKevin Waldman — Classical liberal, gay man, clinical researcher, mental health professional, and founder of psychFORM Research Lab, which conducts independent research into human development free from ideological bias. psychFORM has established IRB approval for a five-university study surveying approximately 2,500 undergraduates on professorial influence and Western cultural perspectives. psychFORM.com | X: @KevWaldman | SubstackBen Appel — Author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic (Bombardier, 2025), a memoir tracing his journey from a Christian covenant community to LGBT activism to Columbia University — where he encountered a new kind of orthodoxy. His recent piece in The Atlantic, “In Defense of Effeminate Boys,” is out now. benappelwrites.com| X: @benappel | SubstackInformed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.If you find this show valuable, please like, share, and subscribe.Stay informed and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe