Supreme Court Rules On MD Case Over LGBTQ Books In Schools

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday sided with a group of Montgomery County parents seeking to opt their children out of elementary school lessons that use books featuring LGBTQ characters, according to reports.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court justices said officials with the Montgomery County Public Schools cannot require young children to participate in lessons with books that conflict with their parents’ religious beliefs, The Washington Post reported.

The case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, was one of three before the court this term involving religious rights. It was one of six opinions expected Friday as the court wraps up its term.

The case stemmed from a 2022 expansion to the school district's curriculum to include storybooks featuring LGBTQ characters as part of an effort to better reflect the district's diversity.

Parents sued after the school system stopped allowing them to pull their children from lessons that included the books. The parents argued that public schools cannot force students to participate in instruction that violates their faith, and they pointed to the opt-out provisions in sex education classes.

School officials later said allowing children to opt out of the lessons had become disruptive. Lower courts backed the district, prompting the parents' appeal to the Supreme Court.

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Attorney General Anthony G. Brown criticized the ruling.

“We are profoundly disappointed by the Court’s decision to compel Montgomery County to allow parents to opt their children out of classes where LGBTQ-inclusive books are read. These materials help teachers create classrooms where all students can thrive and feel safe, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation," Brown said. "My office will continue to defend all Marylanders against discrimination and keep fighting for a future where LGBTQ residents feel safe and accepted in every community throughout our state.”

The Montgomery County Education Association said it was disappointed in the decision, which it called an attack on public education.

“While unsurprising, the court’s decision does a grave disservice to our community,” MCEA President David Stein said. “The decision has the power to disrupt our classrooms and our school communities by assaulting a bedrock principle of public education: that the diversity of our students and their families should be valued and celebrated.”

MCEA said its members are concerned about the ramifications that this decision will have on already overburdened educators. The association asked who will be responsible for the students when they are opted out of classrooms and take on the additional work.

“Respect and tolerance are values that will persist in Montgomery County going forward, and we commit to ensuring that all of our students and their families continue to feel valued,” Stein said.

Five books were at issue in the high court case, touching on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the school system's lawyers wrote.

In “Prince and Knight,” two men fall in love after they rescue the kingdom and each other. In “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” a niece worries that her uncle will not have as much time for her after he gets married. His partner is a man.

“Love, Violet” deals with a girl’s anxiety about giving a Valentine to another girl. “Born Ready” is the story of a transgender boy’s decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. “Intersection Allies” describes nine characters of varying backgrounds, including one who is gender-fluid.

Billy Moges, a board member of the Kids First parents' group that sued over the books, said the content is sexual, confusing and inappropriate for young schoolchildren.

Many of the removals were organized by Moms for Liberty and other conservative organizations that advocate for more parental input over what books are available to students. Soon after President Donald Trump, a Republican, took office in January, the Education Department called the book bans a “hoax” and dismissed 11 complaints that had been filed under Trump's predecessor, President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

The writers’ group Pen America said in a court filing in the case that the objecting parents wanted “a constitutionally suspect book ban by another name.” Pen America reported more than 10,000 books were banned in the last school year.

In a statement, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said he was "profoundly disappointed" with the court's decision.

These materials help teachers create classrooms where all students can thrive and feel safe, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation," Brown said. "My office will continue to defend all Marylanders against discrimination and keep fighting for a future where LGBTQ residents feel safe and accepted in every community throughout our state."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.