Supreme Court Ruling: Parents Can Opt Out of LGBTQ Storybook Lessons

In a significant ruling on June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Maryland public schools must allow parents with religious objections to opt their children out of classes when LGBTQ-themed storybooks are discussed. The decision, Mahmoud v. Taylor, marks a major development in the intersection of religious freedom and public education, particularly concerning LGBTQ representation in curriculum.

The case arose in Montgomery County, Maryland’s largest school district, where a curriculum introduced in 2022 included picture books with LGBTQ characters and themes. Titles included Pride Puppy, Born Ready, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, and Love, Violet. These books were used in language arts lessons for students in pre-K through fifth grade. Initially, parents were notified when such books would be read and were allowed to excuse their children. However, the school later eliminated this opt-out policy, citing administrative difficulties and concerns about stigmatizing LGBTQ students.

In response, a group of parents from different religious traditions sued, arguing that the mandatory exposure to these storybooks violated their First Amendment rights to the free exercise of religion. They emphasized that they were not seeking to ban the books or remove them from the curriculum but only to prevent their children from being required to engage with them in class. The parents contended the books advanced a particular worldview on gender and sexuality that conflicted with their religious beliefs.

Lower courts initially sided with the school district, ruling that exposure to differing views did not amount to a constitutional violation. However, the Supreme Court reversed that decision, siding with the parents. The majority opinion emphasized that compelling students to participate in lessons that contradict deeply held religious beliefs, especially when alternatives like opt-outs exist, constitutes a burden on religious freedom.

The court’s three liberal justices dissented, expressing concern that the decision could undermine inclusive curriculum efforts and lead to a patchwork of exemptions that challenge educational equity and consistency. They argued that merely hearing about other lifestyles or family structures does not force belief or participation and warned the ruling could set a precedent for objecting to a wide range of educational materials.

The Montgomery County school district defended its curriculum as inclusive and representative of diverse families, noting that only a handful of LGBTQ-themed books were integrated alongside dozens of traditional texts. They maintained that the books were not instructive on gender or sexuality but instead featured characters who happened to be LGBTQ or have LGBTQ family members.

This case is the latest in a series of Supreme Court decisions favoring religious freedom, even when it conflicts with LGBTQ rights. Previous rulings have upheld the rights of a web designer to refuse same-sex wedding services, a football coach to pray on the field, and Catholic social services to deny same-sex foster parents. Together, these cases highlight a growing judicial preference for religious expression over non-discrimination protections in education and public services.

For educators, this ruling carries major implications. Schools may now be required to offer opt-outs when parents claim religious objections, even if the content is limited to storybooks with diverse characters. It also reinforces the need for transparency and communication between schools and families around curriculum choices. As educators navigate these legal boundaries, they must balance efforts to promote inclusion with a growing landscape of parental rights advocacy.

While the Court’s ruling resolves the legal question in favor of religious liberty, it leaves educators, administrators, and policymakers with complex questions about how to create classrooms that respect both student diversity and parental autonomy. Dialogue, empathy, and careful policy design will be critical in ensuring that schools remain places where all students feel seen—and all families feel respected.

Source: Liptak, A. (2025, June 27). Justices Let Parents Opt Children Out of Classes With L.G.B.T.Q. Storybooks. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/us/supreme-court-lgbtq-storybook...

Original Article

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OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com