Maryland judge rejects parents’ petition to change education policy
Parents of diverse religious backgrounds in Maryland had filed a lawsuit against the Montgomery County Board of Education’s policy change
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland – A district judge in Maryland has denied parents’ petition against an education policy change that removed parents’ right to opt their children out of LGBTQ+-related classes.
Parents of diverse religious backgrounds in Maryland had filed a lawsuit against the Montgomery County Board of Education’s policy change.
The parents, represented by the Becket Law Firm, intend to appeal the decision to a higher court.
The new policy, which takes effect Aug. 25, 2023, will no longer provide parents with information about materials discussing homosexuality, transgenderism, and gender ideology, and will no longer allow students to opt out of such content.
The parents, who are of the Catholic, Muslim, and Ethiopian Orthodox faiths, had argued that the directive violated their parental rights and religious freedoms.
Maryland law requires schools to inform parents of course content related to family life and human sexuality and give them the option to opt their children out.
However, according to the court, the new materials do not fall into this category and are therefore exempt from the notice and opt-out requirements.
Judge Deborah Boardman echoed the school board’s stance in her ruling, stating that parents are unlikely to prove that the policy violates state law.
She argued that the objectionable books are a subset of the English language arts curriculum and not part of the ‘family life and human sexuality” unit of the health curriculum.
Boardman maintained that mere exposure to conflicting ideas does not equate to indoctrination and that parents still have the option of teaching religion at home.
The curriculum includes reading materials that teach young students about homosexuality and transgenderism, including a book called “Pride Puppy!” aimed at preschool and kindergarten students.
This is the second defeat that parental rights advocates in the Montgomery County School District have suffered in court.
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