The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear an appeal from religious parents seeking to exempt their children from classes featuring LGBT storybooks in a Maryland public school district. This case marks another significant intersection between religious freedoms and LGBT rights brought before the justices.
Parents Challenge School’s Policy
Parents from Montgomery County Public Schools, located near Washington, D.C., appealed after lower courts rejected their request for a preliminary injunction. They sought to allow their children to opt out of classes where LGBT-themed storybooks are read, claiming these materials conflict with their Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Orthodox, and Muslim beliefs.
Despite these objections, the lower courts found that the school district’s policy did not violate the First Amendment’s protections for the free exercise of religion. The plaintiffs, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, argue that the storybooks contradict their religious teachings and are unsuitable for their elementary-aged children.
School District’s Defense
The Montgomery County school district introduced the storybooks in 2022 as part of its language arts curriculum, which already includes various books featuring traditional gender roles. The district emphasized that these books focus on diverse characters and do not provide instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
“The storybooks are akin to fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White, featuring romance but not constituting sex education,” the district argued in court documents. In 2023, the district implemented a policy disallowing opt-outs from these lessons, though opt-outs remain available for sex education in health classes.
Broader Implications
The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has recently expanded religious rights in cases involving LGBT issues. For example, in 2023, the Court ruled that certain businesses could refuse services for same-sex weddings under the First Amendment’s free speech protections.
The parents involved in the current case, including individuals like Tamer Mahmoud and Melissa Persak, contend that the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision undermines their rights to guide their children’s religious upbringing and protect their innocence. The Supreme Court’s agreement to hear the case could lead to a pivotal ruling on the balance between religious freedom and educational policies.
It remains unclear if the Court will hear arguments during the current term.
