US supreme court weighs efforts to exempt elementary schoolers from LGBTQ+ books
The justices are hearing arguments in an appeal by parents with children in public schools in Montgomery county, located just outside of Washington, after lower courts declined to order the local school district to let children opt out when these books are read.
The plaintiffs – including Muslim, Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox parents – contend that the school board's policy of prohibiting opt-outs violates the US constitution's first amendment protections for free exercise of religion.
The supreme court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has steadily expanded the rights of religious people in recent years, including in cases involving LGBTQ+ people. For instance, the court in 2023 ruled that certain businesses have a right under the first amendment's free speech protections to refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings.
The Montgomery country district in 2022 approved a handful of storybooks that feature lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters as part of its English language arts curriculum in order to better represent the diversity of families in the county, the district said in court filings.
The storybooks do not instruct about gender or sexuality and are available for teachers to use 'alongside the many books already in the curriculum that feature heterosexual characters in traditional gender roles', the district said.
Opt-outs are still allowed by the district for sex education units of health classes.
As the district found the number of requests to excuse students from classes in which these storybooks were read logistically unworkable, it announced in 2023 a policy barring opt-outs from instruction using the storybooks.
Represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty conservative legal group, the parents who have sued include Tamer Mahmoud, Enas Barakat, Chris Persak, Melissa Persak, Jeff Roman and Svitlana Roman, along with an organization called Kids First that seeks opt-out rights in Montgomery county.
The plaintiffs said in their lawsuit that the storybooks 'promote one-sided transgender ideology, encourage gender transitioning and focus excessively on romantic infatuation – with no parental notification or opportunity to opt out'.
The Richmond, Virginia-based fourth US circuit court of appeals in 2024 denied their bid for a preliminary injunction, saying that at this early stage of the case there is no evidence that the storybooks are 'being implemented in a way that directly or indirectly coerces the parents or their children to believe or act contrary to their religious faith'.
The plaintiffs told the supreme court that the fourth circuit's decision undermines the right of parents to 'protect their children's innocence and direct their religious upbringing'.
Sign up to Headlines US
Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning
after newsletter promotion
The district emphasized in a brief to the court that no parent or child is coerced to alter their religious convictions or practices, and that mere exposure to content that parents find religiously objectionable does not violate the first amendment.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation secularism advocacy group in a filing to the supreme court supporting the school board said: 'Parents should not have the constitutional right to micromanage their children's education to ensure that all secular education materials conform with their personal religious beliefs.'
Such a rule would be boundless because 'almost any book or idea – however commonplace or innocent – likely contradicts some religious ideals,' the group said.
In a brief backing the parents in the case, a group of religious liberty scholars wrote that the supreme court should correct the 'widespread failure of the lower courts to understand the burden on parental religious rights that can result from mandatory school instruction on highly fraught topics'.
The supreme court is expected to rule by the end of June. The justices are poised to decide multiple cases involving religious rights this term. Next week, it will hear a major case involving a bid to establish in Oklahoma the nation's first taxpayer-funded religious charter school.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Disadvantaged white pupils have ‘particularly poor' education outcomes
Areas of the country where disadvantaged pupils perform worse are more likely to have large populations of poor white children, a report has suggested. The Institute for Government (IfG) think tank has said disadvantaged white pupils in England have 'particularly poor educational outcomes'. An analysis by the IfG looks at the 'high-impact' group of pupils – those for whom disadvantage disproportionately affects their performance – which it said is made up mostly of white British pupils. Local authority areas in the bottom fifth for the performance of disadvantaged pupils were 'disproportionately likely' to have 'above-average' shares of disadvantaged pupils from the high-impact group (or from white backgrounds), it found. It comes after the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it was a 'national disgrace' that so many white working-class children are being 'written off' in the education system. Tens of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to receive their GCSE results on Thursday. Many of the pupils who are waiting for their exam results were in Year 6 when schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The report from the IfG analyses pupil performance at Key Stage 2 (Year 6) – the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths – at a local authority level to try to understand local variation. It suggests educational inequalities have 'grown wider and more pronounced' across England and among demographic groups since the Covid-19 pandemic. The think tank has said tackling high absence rates – particularly among disadvantaged pupils – 'will be key' to narrowing educational inequalities. Recent Department for Education figures show that the number of children in England classed as 'severely absent', which means they missed at least 50% of possible school sessions, rose to nearly 150,000 in autumn 2024. Amber Dellar, IfG researcher and report author, said: 'The pandemic has undone much of the last decade's progress in tackling educational inequalities, leaving some areas and groups of children far behind. 'The Government's opportunity mission is a good starting point for narrowing the gaps, but it lacks a clear vision or plan for delivering that goal in schools. 'Any serious plan must focus on helping schools share what works in supporting disadvantaged pupils and reducing their high rates of absence.' Ms Phillipson told the PA news agency that her focus will be turning around the attainment gap between white working-class pupils and their peers. Fewer than a fifth (18.6%) of white British pupils eligible for free school meals achieved at least a grade 5 – which is considered a 'strong pass' – in their English and maths GCSEs in 2023-24, compared to 45.9% of all state school pupils in England. Earlier this month, the Education Secretary told PA: 'They're not well positioned to carry on with studies, to get an apprenticeship, to go on to university. 'That is why the schools White Paper we will be publishing in the autumn will set out an ambitious vision for how we can tackle this generational challenge of what many young people experience. '(It) is a national disgrace that so many young people are written off and don't get what they need to achieve and thrive.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Tackling the baked-in inequalities in our education system will take time, but through our plan for change this Government is taking action against the root causes that we know are holding young people back. 'We are driving high and rising standards for every child through the expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review, new Rise teams and strengthened school accountability. 'This comes alongside work to tackle disadvantage, including expanding free school meals, rolling out free breakfast clubs and revitalising family services in every local authority. 'But we know there is more to do, which is why we will bring about the reforms needed through our Schools White Paper later this year to create an education system where every child can thrive, regardless of their background.'
North Wales Chronicle
3 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Disadvantaged white pupils have ‘particularly poor' education outcomes
The Institute for Government (IfG) think tank has said disadvantaged white pupils in England have 'particularly poor educational outcomes'. An analysis by the IfG looks at the 'high-impact' group of pupils – those for whom disadvantage disproportionately affects their performance – which it said is made up mostly of white British pupils. Local authority areas in the bottom fifth for the performance of disadvantaged pupils were 'disproportionately likely' to have 'above-average' shares of disadvantaged pupils from the high-impact group (or from white backgrounds), it found. It comes after the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it was a 'national disgrace' that so many white working-class children are being 'written off' in the education system. Tens of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to receive their GCSE results on Thursday. Many of the pupils who are waiting for their exam results were in Year 6 when schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The report from the IfG analyses pupil performance at Key Stage 2 (Year 6) – the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths – at a local authority level to try to understand local variation. It suggests educational inequalities have 'grown wider and more pronounced' across England and among demographic groups since the Covid-19 pandemic. The think tank has said tackling high absence rates – particularly among disadvantaged pupils – 'will be key' to narrowing educational inequalities. Recent Department for Education figures show that the number of children in England classed as 'severely absent', which means they missed at least 50% of possible school sessions, rose to nearly 150,000 in autumn 2024. Amber Dellar, IfG researcher and report author, said: 'The pandemic has undone much of the last decade's progress in tackling educational inequalities, leaving some areas and groups of children far behind. 'The Government's opportunity mission is a good starting point for narrowing the gaps, but it lacks a clear vision or plan for delivering that goal in schools. 'Any serious plan must focus on helping schools share what works in supporting disadvantaged pupils and reducing their high rates of absence.' Ms Phillipson told the PA news agency that her focus will be turning around the attainment gap between white working-class pupils and their peers. Fewer than a fifth (18.6%) of white British pupils eligible for free school meals achieved at least a grade 5 – which is considered a 'strong pass' – in their English and maths GCSEs in 2023-24, compared to 45.9% of all state school pupils in England. Earlier this month, the Education Secretary told PA: 'They're not well positioned to carry on with studies, to get an apprenticeship, to go on to university. 'That is why the schools White Paper we will be publishing in the autumn will set out an ambitious vision for how we can tackle this generational challenge of what many young people experience. '(It) is a national disgrace that so many young people are written off and don't get what they need to achieve and thrive.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Tackling the baked-in inequalities in our education system will take time, but through our plan for change this Government is taking action against the root causes that we know are holding young people back. 'We are driving high and rising standards for every child through the expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review, new Rise teams and strengthened school accountability. 'This comes alongside work to tackle disadvantage, including expanding free school meals, rolling out free breakfast clubs and revitalising family services in every local authority. 'But we know there is more to do, which is why we will bring about the reforms needed through our Schools White Paper later this year to create an education system where every child can thrive, regardless of their background.'
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Disadvantaged white pupils have ‘particularly poor' education outcomes
The Institute for Government (IfG) think tank has said disadvantaged white pupils in England have 'particularly poor educational outcomes'. An analysis by the IfG looks at the 'high-impact' group of pupils – those for whom disadvantage disproportionately affects their performance – which it said is made up mostly of white British pupils. Local authority areas in the bottom fifth for the performance of disadvantaged pupils were 'disproportionately likely' to have 'above-average' shares of disadvantaged pupils from the high-impact group (or from white backgrounds), it found. It comes after the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it was a 'national disgrace' that so many white working-class children are being 'written off' in the education system. Tens of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to receive their GCSE results on Thursday. Many of the pupils who are waiting for their exam results were in Year 6 when schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The report from the IfG analyses pupil performance at Key Stage 2 (Year 6) – the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths – at a local authority level to try to understand local variation. It suggests educational inequalities have 'grown wider and more pronounced' across England and among demographic groups since the Covid-19 pandemic. The think tank has said tackling high absence rates – particularly among disadvantaged pupils – 'will be key' to narrowing educational inequalities. Recent Department for Education figures show that the number of children in England classed as 'severely absent', which means they missed at least 50% of possible school sessions, rose to nearly 150,000 in autumn 2024. Amber Dellar, IfG researcher and report author, said: 'The pandemic has undone much of the last decade's progress in tackling educational inequalities, leaving some areas and groups of children far behind. 'The Government's opportunity mission is a good starting point for narrowing the gaps, but it lacks a clear vision or plan for delivering that goal in schools. 'Any serious plan must focus on helping schools share what works in supporting disadvantaged pupils and reducing their high rates of absence.' Ms Phillipson told the PA news agency that her focus will be turning around the attainment gap between white working-class pupils and their peers. Fewer than a fifth (18.6%) of white British pupils eligible for free school meals achieved at least a grade 5 – which is considered a 'strong pass' – in their English and maths GCSEs in 2023-24, compared to 45.9% of all state school pupils in England. Earlier this month, the Education Secretary told PA: 'They're not well positioned to carry on with studies, to get an apprenticeship, to go on to university. 'That is why the schools White Paper we will be publishing in the autumn will set out an ambitious vision for how we can tackle this generational challenge of what many young people experience. '(It) is a national disgrace that so many young people are written off and don't get what they need to achieve and thrive.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Tackling the baked-in inequalities in our education system will take time, but through our plan for change this Government is taking action against the root causes that we know are holding young people back. 'We are driving high and rising standards for every child through the expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review, new Rise teams and strengthened school accountability. 'This comes alongside work to tackle disadvantage, including expanding free school meals, rolling out free breakfast clubs and revitalising family services in every local authority. 'But we know there is more to do, which is why we will bring about the reforms needed through our Schools White Paper later this year to create an education system where every child can thrive, regardless of their background.'
