A group of Christian, Muslim and Jewish parents in Maryland petitioned the Supreme Court on Thursday to hear a case about a school board's policy of not informing parents about books that focus on “sex” and “sexuality” themes that are being taught to their children.
The lawsuit stems from the Montgomery County Board of Education's (BOE) implementation of a “comprehensive” picture book program for kindergarten through fifth grade students in 2022, which initially notified parents when picture books would be read to them, but changed that policy in March 2023 to prohibit parents from withholding picture books from their children. According to Shortly after the Montgomery School Board announced the policy change, a group of parents filed a lawsuit against the school board in May 2023 but lost, according to a press release from the Becket Fund, a nonprofit law firm representing the parents. Denied The case is expected to be appealed again to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in May 2024.
According to a press release, the storybooks include themes such as gender transition, pride parades and preferred pronouns. One book even features the words “intersex flag” and “drag queen.”
The book referenced in the lawsuit, “Jacob's Choice Room,” depicts two transgender children and a teacher using a game to convince a class “to support gender-neutral bathrooms,” court documents state. stateAnother book, titled “Pride Puppies,” aimed at 3- and 4-year-olds, describes the Pride Parade and has students identify images such as “leather” and “underwear.”
“At its most fundamental, it violates the First Amendment, which guarantees parents the right to direct their children's religious upbringing,” Will Horn, an attorney for the Becket Fund, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The parents claim the school board is targeting them and their children based on religious beliefs about gender and sexuality, creating a rift between parents and their children. According to Summary of the case: The parents argue that the original policy change violated Maryland law, Board policy, and the U.S. Constitution. (Related article: Supreme Court refuses to hear case challenging school district policy of concealing students' “gender identity” from parents)
Muslim, Jewish and Christian parents have asked the US Supreme Court to protect their rights to not subject their children to age-inappropriate education about gender and sexual orientation. TranslatorPetition: https://t.co/29jEXgxXA8 pic.twitter.com/rjCKh99fr9
— Eric Baxter (@esbax) September 13, 2024
“No parent should take a backseat when it comes to introducing their children to complex and sensitive issues around gender and sexuality,” Eric Baxter, vice president and senior advisor at the Becket Foundation, said in a press release. “Nearly every state requires parental consent for high school students to receive sex education. Parents should have the right to excuse their elementary school-aged children from attending if sex education is introduced during story time.”
According to court documents, parents do not have the option to opt out of their children studying the picture books, but high school students are given the option to opt out of similar lessons taught in sex-education units in state-mandated health classes.
The Supreme Court is expected to consider a decision on the case in the fall, according to a press release.
The Montgomery County Board of Education did not immediately comment to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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