Supreme Court leaves marriage equality in place, denies Kim Davis appeal

Newcastle, WA — In a short order released today, the Court declined to take up Kim Davis v. Ermold, a case that asked the justices to roll back the 2015 ruling that made same-sex marriage legal nationwide. The Court did not add any comment, which means Obergefell v. Hodges stays in place.

Today’s action was simple: the justices denied Kim Davis’s petition, and no justice publicly noted a disagreement. When the Supreme Court denies review, the decisions from the lower courts remain in effect. Here, that leaves in place the rulings and money judgments against Davis.

Kim Davis was the county clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky. After Obergefell in 2015, she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and briefly stopped issuing any licenses at all. Couples sued, a jury awarded damages to one of those couples, and a judge later ordered Davis to pay their attorneys’ fees and costs. An appeals court upheld those outcomes. With today’s denial, nothing changes about those results.

This matters because marriage equality remains the law across the country. People can still marry the person they love, and those marriages must be recognized. It also reaffirms a basic rule of public service: when you hold a government job, you have to serve everyone equally, regardless of your personal beliefs. For families in Washington and everywhere else, this is steady ground in a noisy moment.

Civil rights groups welcomed the decision as straightforward and correct, pointing out that the rules set by Obergefell are clear. Davis’s legal team criticized the outcome and continues to argue that her religious beliefs should have protected her from liability while she was in office. The Court’s order does not change that debate, but it leaves the law where it is.

Timeline

• 2015: Obergefell v. Hodges legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide; Davis refuses to issue licenses and is later found in contempt of court.
• 2023: A federal jury awards $100,000 in damages to a couple denied a license.
• 2024: A judge awards roughly $260,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs.
• March 2025: The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the rulings against Davis.
• November 10, 2025: The Supreme Court denies review. Marriage equality remains intact.

Bottom line

The Court’s decision keeps marriage equality secure and reinforces a simple expectation: government services must be delivered fairly to everyone. Families can count on their marriages being recognized today, tomorrow, and the day after.