Emergency application
Religious exemptions to school vaccines
Jane Doe, as next friend of C.F. v. James V. McDonald, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health
What did the Court do?
The Court denied the request on September 8, 2026, so nothing changes while the case continues in the lower courts.
Emergency rulings are temporary and do not decide the underlying case. Justice Alito and Justice Gorsuch would have ruled the other way.
What's being asked
Jane Doe, acting for minor C.F., asks the Supreme Court for an emergency injunction (an urgent court order). She wants it while her appeal (a request for a higher court to review a decision) continues. Doe says her claims concern religious freedom and a parent's right to guide a child's religious upbringing. The other parties include New York's health commissioner, a school district, and its principal. The record does not say what school or health policy is at issue.
What the Court did
The Court refused Doe's request for an emergency injunction (an urgent court order) and denied the application (turned it down). It refused only temporary help while the appeal continues; it did not decide who wins the main case. Justice Alito and Justice Gorsuch would have granted it (approved the request); the order lists no other justices' positions.
- Dissented
- Vote not published
What it means
The emergency decision concerns only temporary help and does not decide who wins the case. The case's appeal continues in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The docket lists no related case for the Supreme Court to fully review, and the Court scheduled no hearing on this request.
Sources
Facts on this page come from the Supreme Court docket, orders, and opinions for No. 26A239. The answers restate that record in plain words; explainer copy is written from the record and the filings only.