In a significant ruling on religious rights and education, the United States Supreme Court on Friday voted 6–3 in favor of parents seeking to opt their children out of school lessons featuring LGBTQ-themed books on religious grounds.
The case originated from a Maryland public school district, which, in 2022, introduced a series of books promoting tolerance, gender identity awareness, and anti-discrimination themes into kindergarten and elementary school classrooms.
The curriculum was challenged by Christian and Muslim parents who argued that the materials conflicted with their religious beliefs.
The justices determined that the parents had a strong constitutional claim, ruling that denying them the ability to withdraw their children from the instruction “unconstitutionally burdens” their religious freedom.
“For many people of faith, there are few religious acts more important than the religious education of their children,” wrote Justice Samuel Alito, delivering the majority opinion.
He emphasized that the schoolbooks in question “are designed to present certain values and beliefs as things to be celebrated, and certain contrary values and beliefs as things to be rejected,” pointing to the celebration of same-sex marriage as a prime example.
In a strong dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, argued that such a ruling could undercut the foundational goals of public education.
“Public schools offer to children of all faiths and backgrounds an education and an opportunity to practice living in our multicultural society,” she wrote.
“That experience is critical to our Nation’s civic vitality. Yet it will become a mere memory if children must be insulated from exposure to ideas and concepts that may conflict with their parents’ religious beliefs,” Sotomayor warned.
The case also highlighted the political undertones shaping education policy in the United States.
Former President Donald Trump has taken a firm stance against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, particularly those addressing transgender issues.
His administration’s Justice Department supported the parents, describing the school policy as a “textbook interference with the free exercise of religion.”
