In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with Maryland parents who sought to shield their children from certain school materials, igniting a nationwide debate on parental rights and educational content.
According to CBS News, in a 6-3 ruling on June 27, 2025, the court upheld the right of parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, to opt their elementary-aged children out of lessons involving storybooks on gender identity and sexual orientation.
The controversy began in 2022 when the Montgomery County Board of Education, overseeing Maryland’s largest school system with over 160,000 students, introduced "LGBTQ-inclusive" storybooks into the English Language Arts curriculum for elementary students.
Titles such as "Born Ready," which tells the story of a transgender child, and "Prince & Knight," depicting a prince marrying a knight, were added following state rules aimed at promoting educational equity. Initially, the board permitted parents to request exemptions for their children from these readings and related discussions.
However, in March 2023, the board reversed this stance, announcing that parents would no longer receive prior notice about when these books would be used in class. Additionally, the option to excuse children from such lessons was eliminated, citing logistical challenges for teachers and high absence rates at some schools. The board argued that managing opt-outs had become too cumbersome, disrupting classroom planning and alternative activity arrangements.
This policy change provoked significant opposition, with over 1,000 parents signing a petition to reinstate the opt-out provision. Dozens of parents also voiced their concerns at board meetings, demanding a return to the previous policy that respected their preferences. Three families from diverse religious backgrounds—Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox—filed a lawsuit, asserting that the new rule infringed on their First Amendment rights to guide their children’s religious upbringing.
Initially, both a federal district court in Maryland and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled in favor of the Montgomery County Board of Education. These courts found insufficient evidence that the policy forced families to act against their religious convictions by merely exposing students to differing viewpoints. The parents, undeterred, escalated their case to the Supreme Court, seeking a reversal of the lower court decisions.
In late April 2025, the Supreme Court took up the case, known as Mahmoud v. Taylor, amid a term that included other disputes involving religious rights. With a 6-3 conservative majority, the court has shown increasing receptiveness to claims of religious discrimination in recent years. Arguments centered on whether the school board’s policy placed an undue burden on the parents’ ability to direct their children’s moral and spiritual development.
On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered its 6-3 decision, with Justice Samuel Alito penning the majority opinion. Alito wrote, "[W]e hold that the Board's introduction of the 'LGBTQ+-inclusive' storybooks — combined with its decision to withhold notice to parents and to forbid opt outs — substantially interferes with the religious development of their children and imposes the kind of burden on religious exercise that the court has previously ruled is unacceptable." He further emphasized, "We reject this chilling vision of the power of the state to strip away the critical right of parents to guide the religious development of their children."
The court’s three liberal justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—dissented, expressing concern over the broader implications of the ruling. Justice Sotomayor argued, "Simply being exposed to beliefs contrary to your own does not amount to prohibiting the free exercise of religion." She added, "The result will be chaos for this nation's public schools. Requiring schools to provide advance notice and the chance to opt out of every lesson plan or story time that might implicate a parent's religious beliefs will impose impossible administrative burdens on schools."
The Supreme Court’s ruling mandated that the Montgomery County Board of Education must notify parents in advance when the specific storybooks are scheduled for use. Additionally, the board is required to allow parents to exempt their children from participating in those particular lessons. The court also granted a preliminary injunction to the parents, ensuring these protections remain in place as their lawsuits continue through the legal system.
In a joint statement, the Montgomery County Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools expressed disappointment with the ruling. They stated, "This decision complicates our work creating a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable school system. It also sends a chilling message to many valued members of our diverse community." Nevertheless, they affirmed, "Montgomery County Public Schools remains a welcoming and inclusive school system that embraces and celebrates each and every one of our students. We will maintain an environment where all students feel valued and supported."
The ruling has sparked discussions about the balance between parental rights and the autonomy of public schools to design curricula that reflect diverse perspectives. Justice Alito noted in his opinion, "The books unmistakably convey a particular viewpoint about same-sex marriage and gender, and are designed to present certain values and beliefs as things to be celebrated and certain contrary values and beliefs as things to be rejected." This perspective underscores the court’s concern that the materials may conflict with some families’ deeply held beliefs.
As one of three religious rights cases before the Supreme Court this term, Mahmoud v. Taylor highlights the ongoing tension between individual freedoms and public education policies. Legal experts anticipate that this decision could influence how schools nationwide handle parental objections to curriculum content. For now, the Montgomery County parents have secured a significant victory, ensuring their voices are heard in shaping their children’s educational experiences.