Overview
- The court granted a preliminary injunction to Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties, halting enforcement of HB 4616 against licensed therapists.
- The majority held the law is viewpoint-discriminatory and subject to strict scrutiny, noting it permits counseling that assists a gender transition but forbids efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Judges Raymond Kethledge and Joan Larsen formed the majority, while Judge Rachel Bloomekatz dissented, arguing psychotherapy is a medical treatment that states may regulate without full First Amendment protection.
- The decision overturns a district court’s denial of injunctive relief and pauses a 2023 statute signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that threatened professional licenses for violations.
- A pending U.S. Supreme Court case over Colorado’s similar law could resolve the issue nationwide, as medical groups maintain conversion therapy lacks scientific credibility and can harm minors.