The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a group of Maryland parents seeking to opt their children out of lessons involving LGBTQ-themed books, citing religious freedom concerns.
In a 6–3 decision, the justices granted a preliminary injunction, stating the school district’s refusal to allow opt-outs placed an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ right to freely exercise their religion.
The parents, representing multiple faiths, argued that while they don’t object to the books being available in libraries, they oppose mandatory classroom exposure for their young children.
The decision drew sharp dissent from the court’s liberal justices, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor warning that it could lead to chaos in public schools by encouraging broad parental vetoes over curriculum content.
