Lesson Plan: Scotus discusses parental rights in the classroom
Fox News correspondent David Spunt will hear the Supreme Court’s discussion of parental and religious rights regarding opt-out policies for those who oppose children learning from LGBTQ-themed books on “Special Report.”
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The Supreme Court on Friday determined that a group of parents in Maryland have the right to choose their child from school lessons that could violate the beliefs of a case centered on religious freedom.
The judiciary was decided 6-3 along the Mahmoud vs Taylor ideological line. Parents decided that they could rule out children from lessons in the Maryland public school system, which includes topics on homosexuality and transgenderism, if they felt they were in conflict with their religious beliefs.
“The government will bear the religious exercise of parents when it requires the child to be submitted to instructions that raise a very realistic threat to undermine the religious beliefs and practices parents want to instill in them,” Judge Samuel Alito wrote for the majority. “And the government cannot condition the benefits of free public education regarding the acceptance of parents for such instructions.”
Montgomery County Public Schools began to incorporate preschool books several years ago through a 12th grade language arts curriculum featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer characters, district lawyers told the Supreme Court. The district said it did this as part of an effort to “respond to culture” and to teach lessons that encourage “equality, respect and courtesy.”
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Those who support the right to opt out of classes that contain LGBTQ-related content, Mahmoudv in Washington, DC on April 22, 2025. It has been shown outside the U.S. Supreme Court because it hears oral debate in Taylor case.
In a petition to the High Court, the Maryland parents who sued said the school board introduced the book to elementary school students who promote “gender transition, pride parades and same-sex playground romance.”
Parents said the school board first allowed parents to choose their children from lessons that included those books, but they stopped doing so.
They also stated that the book’s existence created “indirect pressure to forget religious practices,” which created sufficient burdens to infringe on their rights to religious freedom.
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Ricky Rose was on April 22, 2025, Mahmoudv, a religious freedom incident that includes the LBGTQ+ curriculum. As Taylor’s oral discussion, children’s books read at the meeting as “Jacks that don’t jack” (John McDonnell for the Washington Post via Getty Images/
The parents who filed the lawsuit ranged from a variety of religious backgrounds. Tamer Mahmoud and Enas Barakat are Muslims, while others fall under different sects of Christianity.
During the oral discussion, Judge Clarence Thomas asked lawyers representing Montgomery County schools about whether the book simply existed in the classroom or whether it was actively introduced to students.
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The lawyers indicated that the teacher gave lessons to students, including five books of questions during the school year.
Rosalind Hanson, a member of the conservative group mom of freedom, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview before the Supreme Court that other parents who helped bring in the case with her were “reluctant to change the curriculum” for parents who helped their children get exposed to the book.
“The majority of states across the country say they can opt out of these very sensitive issues and topics, not just because of religious factors, but also because of age appropriateness,” Hanson said.
This is a broken news story. Please check for updates.
Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, covering the Department of Justice and legal affairs. Email story tips to Ashley.oliver@fox.com.
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