Court Will Consider Girl’s Argument To Join Boy Scouts

The California Supreme Court gave a small boost to Katrina Yeaw on Wednesday, announcing that it will consider the Rocklin youngster’s bid to open the Boy Scouts to girl members.

The court granted Katrina’s appeal - but deferred it until after there’s a decision in a different case, one filed by a gay man who hopes to become a Scout leader in Contra Costa County.

That case has been before the Supreme Court for over three years. So has another, in which twin boys in Orange County have sued to become Scouts without taking a religious oath. No hearings have been scheduled on either one.

The issue common to all three cases is whether the Boy Scouts are subject to California’s Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination by business establishments.

The Supreme Court order gives Katrina new hope of an eventual victory, said Gloria Allred, her lawyer. It also has the immediate legal effect of wiping the Court of Appeal decision off the law books, so it can no longer be cited as a precedent in other cases, she said.