Supreme Court Backs Religious Opt-Out from LGBTQ-Themed Lessons in Maryland Schools

A selection of books featuring LGBTQ characters that are a part of the Supreme Court case. Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that Maryland parents who object on religious grounds can remove their children from public school lessons involving LGBTQ-themed books.

In a 6–3 decision along ideological lines (six conservative justices in the majority, three liberal justices in the minority), the Court found that Montgomery County schools likely violated the parents’ rights by denying them an opt-out option.

Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito said that forcing children to remain in such lessons imposes “an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religion.” The decision overturns lower court rulings that had sided with the school district.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing in dissent for the liberal minority, warned against a ruling that, in her view, would erode the inclusive foundation of public education. 

“Exposing students to the ‘message’ that LGBTQ people exist, and that their loved ones may celebrate their marriages and life events, the majority says, is enough to trigger the most demanding form of judicial scrutiny,” she wrote.

Though not a final judgment, the ruling indicates the Court believes the parents’ case is likely to succeed.

President Donald Trump, in his reaction to the ruling, was quoted by NBC-Washington as saying:

“I think it’s a great ruling for parents. They lost control of the schools. They lost control of their child. And this is a tremendous victory for parents.”

The lead plaintiffs of the case were a Muslim couple who have a child in elementary school, but Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic parents were also involved.

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