Supreme Court Bolsters Parental Religious Rights in School LGBTQ Book Dispute
Supreme Court Bolsters Parental Religious Rights in School LGBTQ Book Dispute
The Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling on Friday, strengthening religious rights by siding with parents who challenged the use of LGBTQ-themed books in Maryland elementary school classrooms without an opt-out option. In a 6-3 decision, the Court supported the parents’ argument that the Montgomery County Board of Education’s refusal to provide an opt-out violated their First Amendment rights to religious freedom.
Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the conservative majority, stated that the board’s introduction of “LGBTQ+ inclusive” storybooks combined with the denial of opt-outs imposed an “unconstitutional burden” on parents’ free exercise of religion.
The dispute originated in 2022 when the Montgomery County school board updated its English language arts curriculum to include more LGBTQ-inclusive storybooks. While initially indicating an opt-out would be available, the board later reversed course, citing implementation difficulties. Parents, including Muslim, Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox families, along with the group Kids First, sued, asserting their right to protect their children from content conflicting with their religious beliefs regarding same-sex relationships and transgender rights.
In dissent, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned of potential “chaos for this nation’s public schools,” highlighting the vast diversity of religious beliefs and the everyday exposure children have to conflicting messages in schools. Lower federal courts had previously ruled in favor of the school board.
This ruling underscores the Supreme Court’s consistent receptiveness to religious freedom claims, even in cases that present conflicting arguments with LGBTQ rights advocacy, following previous decisions like the 2023 ruling favoring a Christian web designer who declined work for same-sex weddings.
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