A legal battle over parental rights and LGBTQ+ education has reached the US Supreme Court, where justices will soon decide whether families can opt their children out of school lessons that include books on same-sex relationships and gender identity.
The case comes from Montgomery County, Maryland, where public schools introduced new books in 2022 aimed at teaching young children about respect, diversity, and identity. The materials were included in kindergarten and elementary school lessons as part of an effort to combat discrimination.
Initially, parents were allowed to exclude their children from these lessons. But the district later ended the opt-out policy, saying it led to too many absences and disrupted learning. Some schools reportedly struggled to manage the number of students kept home during lessons, prompting officials to make the curriculum mandatory.
Now, a group of parents from Christian and Muslim backgrounds is suing the district. They argue that removing the opt-out option violates their religious beliefs and their right to guide their children’s moral and spiritual education. They claim the school board is interfering with their ability to raise their children according to their faith.
This case arrives at a time when debates over LGBTQ+ topics in schools have become more intense across the US. In several conservative states, laws and policies have limited or banned books and lessons touching on sexuality and gender. Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, passed in 2022, forbids such content in primary grades, setting a precedent for other states.
The federal government’s stance is also playing a role. Lawyers from the Trump-era Justice Department have supported the parents, calling the school’s actions a clear violation of religious freedoms.
However, past court decisions have ruled that exposing students to different viewpoints is not the same as forcing them to agree. Schools are generally allowed to teach about a range of topics, even if they conflict with a family’s personal beliefs.
With six conservative justices and three progressives, the Supreme Court’s decision—expected by late June—could set a national standard on how much control parents have over what their children are taught in public schools. The outcome may also affect future education policies involving religion, diversity, and civil rights.