An interfaith group of parents says forcing elementary school children to participate in instruction that contradicts their religious beliefs on sex and gender violates their First Amendment rights.
The group in Maryland’s largest school district is hoping the Supreme Court agrees.
The Montgomery County Board of Education sparked a firestorm in March 2023 when it notified parents that they will no longer be able to opt their elementary-level students out of instruction involving books on gender and sexuality.
A list of LGBT-themed storybooks was added to the district’s curriculum for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in November 2022. The books included titles such as “Pride Puppy,” which describes what a child might see at a Pride parade; “What Are Your Words,” which centers on a child whose pronouns change “like the weather”; and “Love, Violet,” a story about a same-sex playground romance.
At the time, the county assured parents they would retain the right to exclude their children from any lessons concerning such materials. The policy change that came months later retracted that right and prompted local parents of diverse faiths to sue.
“The First Amendment…
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