LEXINGTON, KY – Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Mahmoud v. Taylor that public schools must give parents notice and an opportunity to opt out when they seek to use an LGBT curriculum in their classrooms. This ruling enhances the parental rights of religious parents in the government school setting and ensures that parents may bring their kids up based upon their beliefs, not those of government institutions.
The Court’s decision overrules a misguided opinion from the Fourth Circuit, which allowed a Maryland school district to deny religious exemptions to parents seeking to opt-out of its LGBT curriculum. The Family Foundation joined an amicus brief from our ally at Maryland Family Policy Institute supporting a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish parents in their challenge to the school district’s policy.
Statement from David Walls, Executive Director of The Family Foundation:
“We are grateful that the Supreme Court protected parental rights and religious freedom with today’s ruling. Schools should be focused on educating kids about the basics of math, reading, and writing, not seeking to indoctrinate them with radical gender ideology and LGBT propaganda.
“Parents have the right to direct the upbringing of their children, and government schools have no right to infringe upon this right. The Court correctly concluded that the Constitution does not allow government schools to circumvent the religious development of children against their parents’ will and behind their parents’ backs,” Walls concluded.
In Kentucky, public schools must obtain an opt-in from parents before speaking to their children about topics surrounding sexuality. The Family Foundation worked hard to ensure this protection was included in SB 150 during the 2023 General Assembly.
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The Family Foundation is the leading Christian public policy organization in Kentucky and stands for Kentucky families and the Biblical values that make them strong. Learn more at kentuckyfamily.org.
