Federal Judge Blocks University of California From Punishing Students for ‘Misgendering’
29th September 2026
The University of California tells students that using pronouns or names corresponding to a person’s sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity can constitute sexual harassment. Now, an education watchdog has won an early victory in court to stop it from enforcing its misgendering policy.
The ruling comes amid a First Amendment challenge to University of California policies that classify certain instances of “misgendering” and “deadnaming” as potential harassment.
Training materials cited in Defending Education’s lawsuit included examples involving bathrooms, pronouns, and “deadnaming.”