The lawyer representing a coalition of parents fighting for the choice to pick up their children from an LGBTQ-related curriculum says the case is about “being parents.”
“We are trying to get the opportunity to leave the classroom to see if the school board will make that decision,” Beckett’s attorney and lawyer for his parents who filed the lawsuit, Colten Stanberry told Fox News Digital. “And I think they are telling us to be parents for my parents’ clients. Stay involved in the school’s decision-making process. Don’t try to cut us out.”
The Supreme Court heard oral debate Tuesday in the fight between parents to pick children out of LGBTQ-related curriculum.
The issue with this case is Mahmoudv. It is whether Taylor has the right to be informed of children by reading elementary school books that are in conflict with faith and then choose children.
Maryland mom fights to opt out of the child from the LGBTQ storybook in front of the Supreme Court
The issue with this case is Mahmoudv. It is whether Taylor has the right to be informed of children by reading elementary school books that are in conflict with faith and then choose children. (Becquet/Getty Images)
“Our case is not a ban,” Stanberry emphasized.
“I’m not saying these books can’t be on the shelf. We’re saying we want to get out of class,” Stanberry continued. “And we’re not saying that teachers can’t teach this material either.”
The coalition of Jews, Christians and Muslim parents with primary school students at Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland filed a lawsuit against the school board after introducing new LGBTQ books into their curriculum as part of the district’s “inclusiveness” initiative. The curriculum changes came after Maryland enacted regulations seeking to promote “educational equity.” According to a petitioner’s summary filed in the High Court.
According to this overview, the school board featured a book featuring transgender and non-binary characters and storylines.
The coalition of parents said that after parents raised concerns about the new curriculum, the board “first respected parent opt-out in accordance with its own guidelines and Maryland law.” After the board issued an official statement in line with this stance, the petitioner said the board “reversed the course” without prior notice.
“We announced that without explanation, it will start in the 2023-2024 academic year.[s]Tudents and Family may not opt out and will not be notified when “the book is being read.”
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According to this overview, the school board featured a book featuring transgender and non-binary characters and storylines. (Bett)
The parents sued the school board and alleged that the notice and denial of opt-out “violated the freedom to direct the child’s religious development clause by nullifying the freedom to direct the child’s religious upbringing and burdening religious movements through neutral or generally unapplied policies.”
The parents supported their argument by citing the 1972 Supreme Court case, Wisconsin v. Yoder. In Yoder, the court held that state laws requiring children to attend school in the past eighth grade violated the constitutional rights of parents under the first amendment freedom movement clause dictating the religious development of children.
Stanberry says that although the case is much narrower than Yoder, the problem at hand is “for over 50 years the best parents have had from the best court.”
The Board of Education argued that “the record does not include evidence that teachers are “instructed” or “instructed” inject opinions about gender and sexuality into classroom discussions regarding picture books.”
The Board of Education writes that storybooks are “available as an option for literary circles, book clubs, or reading groups or used for reading.”
“Teachers were not required to use storybooks in specific lessons and no relevant required discussion points, classroom activities, or assignments were provided,” the brief continued.
The lower court denied the parents’ claim and found that it was unable to show that “non-opt-out policies would bear their religious movements.”
In appeals to the Fourth Circuit, the appeals court confirmed the district court’s decision, with the majority finding that the parents did not show that the policy had violated the initial amendments.
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The incident comes when President Donald Trump and his administration prioritized education and DEI-related reforms when he launched his second term. (Getty Images)
Despite the lower court case, Stanberry shared that it was “hope and excitement” as the High Court considers the case.
“I think this court will really consider the case,” Stanberry said ahead of Tuesday’s discussion. “Obviously, I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t predict how it will come out, but we feel good to get into it.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the school board said its policy is “based on our commitment to providing an appropriate classroom environment for all students,” and the board believes that “curriculum that respects people from different backgrounds does not burden religious freedom movements.”
“We believe that the Supreme Court can and should affirm the lower court’s ruling, based on established law, as discussed in our brief and as discussed by our lawyers in today’s discussion,” Liliana Lopez said., A public school spokesman said. “Regardless of the outcome, we are grateful for the opportunity to file a lawsuit in the best court on the land. We are waiting for the court’s decision.”
The incident comes when President Donald Trump and his administration prioritized education and DEI-related reforms when he launched his second term. The Supreme Court has also heard oral debate this past semester in other religious liberty and gender-related cases.
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“I think this incident can be seen as people of faith moving forward and saying, ‘Hey, we want to be housed in this pluralistic society, so I think it’s coming at a convenient moment,” Stanbury said.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in mid-January during its term of office in 2024-2025.
Bill Mears, Shannon Bream and Kristine Parks from Fox News contributed to this report.
