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Page Number: 7.0

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DANVILLE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, INC. v. BESHEAR 

GORSUCH, J., dissenting 

be better for everyone—from the parents who might have 
to  miss  work  and  stay  home  should  decrees  like  these  be 
upheld, to the state public health officials who might have 
to plan for school if they are not. 
  Courts have a broader equity at stake here too.  In their 
struggle to respond to the current pandemic, executive offi-
cials have sometimes treated constitutional rights with sus-
picion.  In Kentucky, state troopers seeking to enforce gu-
bernatorial  orders  even  reprimanded  and  recorded  the 
license  plate  numbers  of  worshippers  who  attended  an 
Easter church service, some of whom were merely sitting in 
their  cars  listening  to  the  service  over  a  loudspeaker.  
Maryville  Baptist  Church,  Inc.  v.  Beshear,  977  F. 3d  561, 
563–564  (CA6  2020)  (per curiam).    Recently,  this  Court 
made clear it would no longer tolerate such departures from 
the Constitution.  See Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn 
v. Cuomo, 592 U. S. __, __–___ (2020) (per curiam) (slip op., 
at 3–6).  We did so in a case where the challenged edict had 
arguably expired, explaining that our action remained ap-
propriate  given  the  Governor’s  claim  that  he  could  revive 
his unconstitutional decree anytime.  Id., at ___ (slip op., at 
6).  That was the proper course there, as I believe it is here.  
I would not leave in place yet another potentially unconsti-
tutional decree, even for the next few weeks. 
  For these reasons, I respectfully dissent.  I would grant 
the application, vacate the Sixth Circuit’s stay, and remand 
the matter for further consideration under the proper legal 
standards.