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Maryland Court rejects parents' request to exclude their children from LGBT curriculum

Judge Deborah L. Boardman concluded that the petition "is not a fundamental right." Elementary students read inclusion books that contain references to gay pride parades, gender transition, and pronoun preference.

Tizas de colores representando el Arcoíris LGBT y el movimiento trans.

(Unsplash)

Published by
Williams Perdomo

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A Maryland district court denied a parent group's petition to reinstate an opt-out policy in Montgomery County public schools. The parents' request was made with the intention that their children would not receive the LGBT curriculum. The decision was signed by Judge Deborah L. Boardman.

The tribunal concluded that:

The plaintiffs’ asserted due process right to direct their children’s upbringing by opting out of a public-school curriculum that conflicts with their religious views is not a fundamental right. Rational basis review is the appropriate level of scrutiny.

Deborah L. Boardman Order- ... by Williams Perdomo

On May 24, 2023, Becket filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Maryland to protect the right of parents to exclude their children from school activities that, in the organization's judgment, violate their right to direct their children's education on sensitive religious issues. "Parents in Maryland are fighting back against the Montgomery County Board of Education for forcing pre-K and elementary-aged children to read controversial books that promote a one-sided transgender ideology, encourage gender transitioning, and focus excessively on romance—with no parental notification or opportunity to opt out." Becket explained on his official website.

The district's LGBT curriculum presents elementary students with inclusion books that contain references to gay pride parades, gender transition, and pronoun preference. "Parents from a variety of faiths— including Islam, Catholicism, and Orthodox Christianity—are united in seeking to guarantee their children an age-appropriate education that is consistent with their faith and sound science. These parents are simply asking to be notified when the books will be read to their children and to be given an opportunity to opt out." Becket said.

According to Becket's attorney, Eric Baxter, the Montgomery County School Board provided notices to parents and opt-out options for the books. However, it details, in March "contrary to state law & in violation of the Board’s own policies, the School Board said it would no longer notify parents or allow opt-outs for elementary kids, even while the right of high school students to opt-out of the same material in sex-ed would be preserved."

"The Board’s own elementary school principals protested the policy arguing that the books are age-inappropriate and dismissive of students' religious beliefs, wrongly present ideological beliefs as fact, and improperly encourage teachers to discuss students’ romantic feelings."

On Judge Boardman's decision, Baxter said:

The district court decided parents have no right to notice when extreme ideology is pushed on their elementary-age children during story hour.
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