Doctrinal Incoherence and the Harm Principle in Parental Medical Decision-Making

Two recent Supreme Court decisions expose a fundamental instability in the constitutional framework governing parental medical decision-making for minors. In United States v. Skrmetti (2025), the Court upheld a categorical prohibition on gender-affirming treatments sought by fit parents and licensed physicians without requiring any individualized showing of harm to the affected minors. In Chiles…