SCOTUS Sides With Parents Who Want to Opt Their Kids Out of LGBTQ+ Curriculum

In a 6-3 decision, SCOTUS backed parents who objected to their children being exposed to books with gay characters — a win for the U.S.’s parental rights movement.

Supreme Court
Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP

The Supreme Court gave the parental rights movement a win Friday by siding with Maryland parents seeking to have their public school children sit out of lessons using certain classroom materials — like books with gay characters — based on religious objections.

In their 6-3 decision, the conservative justices said that the parents would be “likely to succeed in their challenge,” which would have far-reaching implications for religious- and parental-rights disputes in public schools nationwide. The case brought by the parents was being cheered on by high-profile conservatives, including 66 Republican lawmakers who filed an amicus brief in support of their cause.

Conservatives are already hailing the decision as a victory for the U.S.’s parental rights movement. The court’s decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor is likely to lead to similar outcomes in other challenges about public education.