Supreme Court Rules Parents Can Opt Their Kids Out Of Lessons With LGBTQ-Themed Books
The court on Friday sided with a group of Maryland parents who opposed their school district’s mandatory teaching of books that feature gay and transgender characters.
The Majority Opinion: "The board's introduction of the 'LGBTQ+ inclusive' storybooks, along with its decision to withhold opt-outs, places an unconstitutional burden on the parents' rights to the free exercise of their religion," Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court's six conservative justices in Mahmoud v. Taylor, noting that parents should be given notice about lessons that may go against their religious beliefs.
The Dissenting Opinion: Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissenting opinion for the three liberals, "The result will be chaos for this nation's public schools."
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The parents of elementary school students in Montgomery County Public Schools — including Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians — said they did not seek to remove the books from school libraries or classrooms, but only to shield their children from having to be exposed to and discuss them, arguing that the mandatory teachings of LGBTQ perspectives violates their religious freedoms and “promote one-sided transgender ideology, encourage gender transitioning and focus excessively on romantic infatuation.”
The court on religious freedom: The court has ruled in favor of religious rights arguments in several decisions in recent years, including Creative LLC v. Elenis, siding with a web designer who refused to work on same-sex weddings in 2023 and a coach who prayed on a public school football field after games in 2022. Looking ahead, we can expect more cases involving religion and education to come before the Court.
