Maryland Muslim and Christian parents plan to appeal pro-LGBT book court ruling.
A Coalition of Muslim and Christian Parents Vows to Appeal Court Ruling on LGBT Storybooks
A coalition of Muslim and Christian parents is determined to fight back after a recent court ruling denied their request for a parental opt-out option for LGBT storybooks in a Maryland school district.
The group of parents took legal action against Montgomery County Public Schools earlier this year when the district stopped informing parents about a series of LGBT-themed storybooks used in classroom instruction and prohibited them from opting out. This change in policy went against their religious beliefs, as they felt it exposed their children to material that contradicted their faith.
Judge Rules in Favor of School District
On Thursday, Judge Deborah Boardman of the U.S. District Court of Maryland, appointed by President Biden, ruled that the school district did not violate the parents’ rights by removing the opt-out option. She stated that the parents failed to prove that the district was coercing their children into adopting pro-LGBT ideas.
“The plaintiffs have not shown that the no-opt-out policy likely will result in the indoctrination of their children,” Boardman wrote.
In a footnote, Boardman acknowledged that one of the plaintiffs had a child with a learning disability who couldn’t differentiate between the teacher’s instruction and any opposing views presented by the parents. However, the judge concluded that this did not infringe upon the family’s religious exercise rights.
“The Morrisons, too, do not face any coercion to violate their sacred duty to raise their child in their faith,” Boardman wrote. “Morrison states they cannot contextualize contrary ideas for their disabled daughter because her disability prevents her from understanding the difference between what her parents say and what her teachers say. But the no-opt-out policy does not prevent the Morrisons from taking the action required by their religion — trying to teach their daughter their beliefs.”
The coalition is represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has vowed to appeal the ruling.
“The School Board’s decision to cut parents out of these discussions flies in the face of parental freedom, childhood innocence, and basic human decency,” said Eric Baxter, Becket Fund vice president and senior counsel. “The court’s decision is an assault on children’s right to be guided by their parents on complex and sensitive issues regarding human sexuality. The School Board should let kids be kids and let parents decide how and when to best educate their own children consistent with their religious beliefs.”
Although not directly involved in the case, the Council on American-Islamic Relations expressed its support for ongoing efforts to restore the parental opt-out.
“The campaign to protect the rights of parents and children in Montgomery County Public Schools is just beginning,” the organization stated.
“As the school year begins, we remain committed to vocally advocating for families who simply want their children to attend English class without being forced to discuss and affirm sensitive concepts that would normally arise in sex education courses,” the organization added. “Until the opt-out is restored, impacted families plan to pursue every available legal means to protect their rights, including but not limited to new targeted legal action, continued interfaith protests, the release of additional internal MCPS documents, and respectful acts of peaceful civil disobedience.”
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Montgomery County Public Schools for comment.
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