The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving parents of elementary school students in Maryland who objected to books on gender transition and same-sex relationships available in classrooms. The Montgomery County Board of Education implemented a policy requiring new storybooks covering LGBT issues to be read in class, including a book titled “Pride Puppy!” which follows a puppy lost during a gay rights parade. Initially, parents could opt their children out of the curriculum, but this option was later removed. The lead plaintiffs in the case are Muslim parents who feel their religious beliefs are being violated, along with other parents from Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox backgrounds. They are not challenging the curriculum itself, but rather the lack of an opt-out option. Both a federal judge and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the school board, with the appeals court decision implying that parents give up their rights to direct the religious upbringing of their children by sending them to public schools. The parents’ lawyers argue that this contradicts historical traditions and their constitutional rights under the First Amendment. The case raises important questions about the balance between LGBT rights and religious rights in the context of public education.
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Parents petition Supreme Court to have ability to opt their children out of LGBTQ content in elementary schools
