Attorney William Haun of Becket says the U.S. Supreme Court has routinely upheld the right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of children.
Even so, in 2023, the Montgomery County Board of Education did away with those rights without notice, taking away parental notice and opt-outs for storybooks that celebrate gender transitioning, pride parades, and pronoun preferences with kids as young as three and four.
Older students can opt out when similar topics are introduced during high school health class.
"Montgomery County adopted a policy that is premised upon parental exclusion," Haun summarizes. "The entire point is to cut the parents out so the parents never know when their children are being read these books, they never know when the material is being discussed, and they have no opportunity to excuse their children."
As AFN has reported, the issue is whether public schools violate parents' First Amendment rights when they compel elementary-aged students to participate in instruction on gender and sexuality, against their parents' religious convictions.
Mahmoud v. Taylor involves Christians, Muslims, and Jews who all agree parents are the first teachers of their children.
"47 other states provide notice and opportunity to opt out for any kind of sexuality instruction or an opt-in," Haun reports. "The point is parental control is consistently honored nationwide. There's a long and deep consensus on that."
U.S. Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments in this case on April 22, and a ruling is expected by the of June.
