The nation’s highest court will not take up a Maine mother’s lawsuit against a Damariscotta-based school district, which she argued violated her parental rights by not disclosing information about her child’s gender transition.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday released the latest round of cases that it has agreed to take, and those it rejected. It denied the appeal from Amber Lavigne, whose case had been dismissed by lower courts.
Lavigne, of Newcastle, first sued the Great Salt Bay Community School Board in April 2023, alleging it violated her parental rights and the 14th Amendment by allowing her child to use a different name and pronouns in school than they had been assigned at birth. She also said school employees provided the 13-year-old with a chest binder, an undergarment often used by transgender individuals to flatten breasts.
The district has long maintained that its policies were in accordance with state law.
A federal judge dismissed the case in May 2024, writing that Lavigne had no claims that were eligible for relief. She appealed that ruling to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which upheld the lower court’s dismissal. In December, she asked the Supreme Court to take up the case.
Lavigne has been represented by the Goldwater Institute, a conservative Arizona-based think tank.
Nearly 20 states, all led by Republicans, submitted briefs supporting Lavigne’s appeal. They argued school districts do not have the right to withhold information that affects the rights of parents to be the primary decision-makers in raising their children.
The court has taken up multiple cases this term related to transgender rights and public school districts, including two lawsuits about the rights of transgender athletes to participate in sports teams aligned with their gender identity.
In a statement Monday, Lavigne’s attorney Adam Shelton said he was disappointed with the court’s decision.
“It signals to schools across the country, and especially in Maine, that hiding information from parents does not run afoul of the Constitution,” Shelton said. Lavigne was not available for an interview.
Melissa Hewey, an attorney for the Great Salt Bay Community School Board, noted in a statement that Lavigne’s case has now been dismissed at every level.
“It is gratifying to all our clients that this claim, which had no merit from day one, is finally over,” she said.
This story was originally published by the Maine Trust for Local News. Riley Board can be reached at rboard@pressherald.com.
Craig Joseph Ahlemeyer
STANDISH – Craig J. Ahlemeyer, 48 of Standish, passed away unexpectedly, Saturday, June 13, 2026.A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 27 th at Standish Congregational Church, 25 Oak Hill Road in Standish. A reception will follow.To see Craig’s full obituary, share a memory or leave the family an online condolence, please visit http://www.athutchins.com.
“Do you ever think we could find some woods to walk in?” my outdoorsy 12-year-old asks me, every now and again. As a kid growing up in New York City, Anton appreciates all the skate parks and bagel shops, but he also really craves nature, like in his bones.
So, when school got out, I offered to take him for a weekend in Maine, a place with not only woods but also lakes and rocks and periwinkles that come out of their shells when you hum. We were both really excited.
The first night, we were lucky enough to snag a room at Aragosta, a beautiful small hotel in Deer Isle that Alison had recommended.
The chef-owner, Devin Finigan, is famous for her seasonal tasting menus, but we focused on the breakfast that came with the room, including these Maine blueberry pancakes. I don’t even usually like pancakes and these blew my mind.
We also played a LOT of chess on our little travel board.
After breakfast, we set out to hike up Blue Hill Mountain.
Here’s the summit!
In the afternoon, we explored the charming fishing village of Stonington…
…then joined my friend Julie (of Rudy Jude fame) and her family for dinner at the Burnt Cove Boil.
Basically, a crab gets plonked down in front of you, followed by a corn on the cob, then a lobster, then a classic ice-cream sandwich. Julie and her husband Anthony taught us how to get all the meat out. (Their kids were already pros.)
Afterward, the four boys scrambled around on the rocks, while the adults chatted. It’s always such a treat to hang out with people who live in the place you’re visiting, don’t you think? Julie and Anthony described how they brought their recently hatched chicks into their home to keep them warm, and all the peeping was sooooo loud — and then a cricket got into the house and added to the noise and no one could find it and everyone was going nuts, haha. Very different from city life!
The next day, Anton and I stayed at the lovely Asticou Hotel near Acadia National Park.
We drove to a couple trailheads but they were PACKED — you had to stand in a long line, just to start the hike! Luckily, we found a quieter area and took a long walk around Jordan Pond, playing Would You Rather and Categories along the way. Do you have any favorite travel games?
Finally, we skimmed stones on our last afternoon before heading back to Brooklyn.
Epic travel buddy
Oh, Maine, what a magical place! Not pictured, of course: traffic, grumpy preteen moments, locking our keys in the rental car, etc., but all that’s to be expected.
Have you been to Maine? Do you live there? What parts do you love? Any pro tips? I’d love to hear. xoxo
P.S. Our Maine trip — and another amazing hotel — when the boys were much younger, and a Maine home with a bedroom looking over water.
Matt Dunlap won the Democratic primary in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District after three rounds of ranked-choice voting, the state’s Secretary of State’s office announced Friday.
Democrats are seeking to hang onto a seat in a district that President Trump won in the last three presidential elections. State Sen. Joe Baldacci led after the first two rounds of ranked–choice voting, but Dunlap overtook him after challengers Paige Loud and Jordan Wood were eliminated.
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate, is retiring after four terms. His decision not to run for reelection was a blow to Democrats’ efforts to retake the House majority.
In the 2024 election, Golden was one of 13 Democrats to win a House race in a district also won by Mr. Trump. Golden declined to endorse Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has voted with Republicans on several issues, including measures to avert a shutdown and on reining in Mr. Trump’s war powers authority.
Dunlap, the state’s auditor, will face Republican Paul LePage in November’s general election. LePage is a former two-term governor who ran unopposed in the GOP primary. As of May 20, LePage had $1.2 million cash on hand while Dunlap had less than $100,000, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Dunlap’s win marks a defeat for House Democrats’ campaign arm. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed Joe Baldacci, a state senator, saying he “has never lost an election and has consistently overperformed Democrats up and down the ballot, including a 3-point overperformance of the presidential ticket in 2024.”
Baldacci was the runner–up, the Maine Secretary of State’s office said. The results were announced 10 days after voters went to the polls due to the ranked-choice tabulations.
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