SCOTUS to rule on parents declining LGBTQ+ lessons in Maryland schools

Maryland parents are taking their fight over elementary school story time all the way to the Supreme Court

raising concerns about books read to students focused on LGBTQ themes, saying they violate their religious beliefs

On Tuesday, the justices will take up one big question. Are public schools violating parents' religious rights by teaching young kids about gender and sexuality without notice or chance to opt out

In Montgomery County, teachers are required to read storybooks that celebrate gender transitions, pride parades, and same-sex relationships

The school board says it's meant to encourage more inclusive thinking. Books like Born Ready, the true story of a boy named Penelope, are part of the reading rotation for teachers

The story suggests that doctors only guess a baby's gender at birth and that children can decide their gender for themselves

In 2023, the Montgomery County School Board reversed its policy requiring parent notification about its inclusivity program, including LGBTQ story times

Before that, students in kindergarten through fifth grade could opt out, but that option was taken away

Court documents express Montgomery Public Schools reasoning behind the reversal. The growing number of opt requests gave rise to three related concerns high student absenteeism the infeasibility of administering opt across classrooms and schools and the risk of exposing students who believe the storybooks represent them

and their families to social stigma and isolation. But even some principals push back

calling the books age inappropriate, saying they presented gender ideology as fact

dismissed religious beliefs, and shamed students who disagreed. The lawsuit doesn't try to block

the curriculum, it argues that forcing kids to participate goes against their family's faiths

and violates their constitutional rights. A lower court dismissed the case, ruling that because no

one was forced to change their beliefs, there was no violation. The parents who come from Christian

Muslim, and Jewish backgrounds say this isn't about politics. It's about religious freedom

and being left out of a conversation they believe matters to their children's values

This case draws parallels to a landmark Supreme Court decision, Wisconsin v. Yoder

In 1972, Amish families fought to pull their kids out of school after 8th grade

despite a state law requiring attendance until age 16. The Supreme Court sided with the families ruling that their religious freedom outweighed the state's education requirement

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey. For more unbiased, fact-based news, download the Straight Arrow News mobile app or head to san.com