Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) joined a coalition of organizations in calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. SLF and the organizations filed an amicus brief in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case where parents are challenging a school district’s refusal to let them opt their young children out of being taught books depicting themes of radical gender ideology and sexuality.
Montgomery County schools introduced new LGBTQ-themed storybooks for children as young as kindergarten. One book, Intersection Allies, asks children to consider what it means to be transgender and nonbinary and to consider what pronouns fit them. Another book, What Are Your Words?, teaches that pronouns can change “like the weather…depending on how I feel.” Yet another book, Pride Puppy, invites students to search for various images, including “underwear,” “leather,” “lip ring,” “[drag] king” and “[drag] queen.” The school district also directed teachers to engage in discussions with children about these themes, including transgenderism and pronouns.
Initially, the school district provided notice to parents about these lessons and gave parents the opportunity to opt their children out of them. But the following year, with no explanation, the district changed course and now refuses to provide an opportunity to opt out. Worse, it is no longer even notifying parents before the materials are read. Parents in the district sued, asserting that the school district is violating the First Amendment by dictating what children should and should not believe.
Read More
SLF and amici are supporting the parents’ efforts to put a stop to this egregious overreach by Montgomery County. They argue that the Supreme Court has long recognized that parents have inherent rights to decide how they want their children raised, even when their children attend public schools. “These parental rights, more fundamental than government power . . . demand on the part of public educators a high regard for the will of parents.”
SLF and amici explain that whatever goals the school district has in teaching young children about gender ideology and sexuality, those goals are significantly outweighed by parents’ rights to object to controversial teachings that undermine their beliefs.