Promise Doe, Appellees v. Donald Sundquist, Appellants

Summary

The Tennessee Supreme Court held that applying the 1995 adoption-record disclosure provisions to adoptions completed under earlier laws does not impair birth parents’ vested rights under article I, section 20 of the Tennessee Constitution. The Court also held that the provisions do not violate Tennessee constitutional privacy rights because adoption-record confidentiality was statutory, disclosure was limited, and the law provided a contact veto. The Court reversed the Court of Appeals, reinstated the trial court’s dismissal, and lifted the stay barring disclosure.