Deborah Boardman

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On August 24, 2023, Boardman denied a request for a preliminary injunction seeking to reinstate a Montgomery County School Board policy that allowed parents to remove their children from lessons involving books featuring LGBTQ characters. [13] Plaintiffs claimed exposure to these books contradicted "their sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage, human sexuality, and gender" and that the lack of an opt-out policy violated their children’s First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. Boardman reasoned that "mere exposure in public school to ideas that contradict religious beliefs does not burden the religious exercise of students or parents". [14] The Fourth Circuit affirmed her decision by a 2–1 vote on May 14, 2024. [15] On June 27, 2025, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling, holding that the government burdens parents' religious exercise when it requires their children to participate in instruction that violates the families' religious beliefs. [16]

On August 19, 2024, Boardman ruled in favor of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, which challenged a biological opinion issued by National Marine Fisheries Service in 2020 under the Trump administration. She found the agency violated the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedures Act by underestimating risks and failing to implement adequate mitigation measures for the effects of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico on protected species, including the Rice's whale. [17] Various oil and gas companies denounced the decision, as they would have to halt all operations in the Gulf of Mexico. [18]

On February 5, 2025, Boardman became the first district judge in the nation to grant a preliminary injunction, blocking President Trump's Executive Order 14160—which aimed to end birthright citizenship in the United States—from taking effect on February 19. The case was brought by five pregnant undocumented women and two immigrant rights organizations. [19] [20] The next day, Judge John C. Coughenour issued a similar preliminary injunction in a case filed by the State of Washington challenging the same executive order. [21]

On October 3, 2025, Boardman sentenced Nicholas Roske [22] , the person who admitted to traveling to Justice Brett Kavanaugh's Maryland home in 2022 in an aborted attempt to assasinate him, to 97 months in prison, one month more than defense attorneys proposed. Prosecutors sought a prison sentence of at least 30 years; the sentencing guidelines recommended 324–405 months. [23] The United States Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, said she would appeal what she [Bondi] described as a "woefully insufficient" sentence. [24]

References

  1. 1 2 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Deborah Lynn Boardman
  2. "The Scales of Justice - Inspiration for a Balanced Life" (PDF). Federal Bar Association, Maryland Chapter. Thatcher Law. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  3. "Women of diverse backgrounds dominate Biden's first slate of judicial nominees". Al Arabiya English. March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "President Biden Announces Intent to Nominate 11 Judicial Candidates", White House, March 30, 2021 PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  5. "Appointment of Deborah L. Boardman as United States Magistrate Judge" (Press release). United States District Court for the District of Maryland. September 23, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Deborah Boardman at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges , a publication of the Federal Judicial Center .
  7. "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, April 19, 2021
  8. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for May 12, 2021
  9. Results of Executive Business Meeting – June 10, 2021, Senate Judiciary Committee
  10. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Deborah L. Boardman to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland)". United States Senate . June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  11. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Deborah L. Boardman, of Maryland, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland)". United States Senate . June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  12. "Swearing-In of Deborah L. Boardman as United States District Judge" (Press release). United States District Court for the District of Maryland. July 1, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  13. Shapero, Julia (August 25, 2023). "Judge rejects Maryland parents' motion to keep kids out of lessons with LGBTQ books". The Hill .
  14. "Tamer Mahmoud v. Monifa McKnight - Case No. 8:23-cv-01380" (PDF). United States District Court for the District of Maryland . August 24, 2023.
  15. Dodson, Joe (May 14, 2024). "Fourth Circuit denies parents' opt-out request for LGBTQ-inclusive books in Maryland elementary schools". Courthouse News Service .
  16. "Mahmoud v. Taylor" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States . Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  17. Raymond, Nate (August 20, 2024). "US must do more to protect species from Gulf of Mexico drilling". Reuters . Archived from the original on September 9, 2024.
  18. "Oil and gas groups angry over federal judge's ruling against Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations". OK Energy Today. September 11, 2024.
  19. Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio (February 5, 2025). "Maryland federal judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order". NPR .
  20. "CASA, Inc v. Donald J. Trump - Case No. 8:25-cv-00201 - Granting PI" (PDF). February 5, 2025.
  21. Gutman, David (February 6, 2025). "Judge in Seattle accuses Trump of trying to change the Constitution". The Seattle Times .
  22. Wall Street Journal, October 6, 2025https://www.wsj.com/opinion/kavanaughs-would-be-assassin-is-a-man-5158742e?utm_source=spotim&utm_medium=spotim_conversation&spot_im_redirect_source=notifications&spot_im_comment_id=sp_92LbaOI5_SB10325910065410533395804592415301501582194_c_33i1GaAM3SNgttyeMzf9Q7dwPLa&spot_im_highlight_immediate=true#comments_sector
  23. Kavanaugh assassin sentencing, politico.com. Accessed October 6, 2025.
  24. AG Pam Bondi: DOJ to appeal 'insufficient' sentence for Kavanaugh's would-be assassin, usatoday.com. Accessed October 6, 2025.
Deborah Boardman
Judge Deborah Boardman.png
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Assumed office
June 25, 2021
Legal offices
Preceded byJudge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
2021–present
Incumbent