Parents, School Boards, or Judges: Who Should Decide What’s Taught in the School Curriculum?

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The ongoing legal fight over the school curriculum in Montgomery County, Maryland, has reignited a national debate: who should decide what’s taught in public classrooms—parents, school boards, or federal judges? At the center of the controversy are several storybooks with LGBTQ+ characters included in elementary English lessons. The school board introduced them in 2022 to better reflect the district’s diversity. But some parents objected on religious grounds, saying their children should be allowed to opt out.

The dispute reached the Supreme Court this week, with justices weighing whether the board’s policy violates the First Amendment’s religious freedom clause. The lead plaintiffs are Muslim, Catholic, and Orthodox Christian parents who argue they’re not asking for books to be banned but that their children be excused from content that contradicts their faith. They say the school’s refusal to accommodate those requests forces families to choose between public education and religious principles.

School Boards Push Back on Opt-Out Demands

Montgomery County officials counter that allowing unlimited opt-outs would undermine classroom unity and create logistical chaos. They previously tried to allow them, but the number of requests overwhelmed the system. Officials say it became impossible to track which students could attend which parts of class or where they should go instead.

They also argue that selective participation risks stigmatizing LGBTQ+ students by singling out the materials that represent them. In filings, the school district insists there’s no coercion involved. Teachers aren’t required to use the books, and children are not pressured to change their beliefs.

Legal scholars backing the school board warn of a slippery slope. If parents can pull their children from stories about gay families, what stops them from opting out of lessons on evolution, Earth Day, or civil rights? They say public education must serve the broader community, not tailor each lesson to individual ideologies.

They also point out that school boards are elected by local residents and should be trusted to decide the school curriculum unless clear harm can be shown. In their view, that threshold hasn’t been met.

A Supreme Court Ruling Could Shift the Balance

The case Mahmoud v. Taylor could set a major precedent. The current conservative-leaning Supreme Court has consistently expanded religious liberties in recent years. Legal analysts say this trend may continue, possibly resulting in a ruling that requires public schools to carve out broader religious opt-out provisions.

Still, it’s unclear where the justices will draw the line. Will the Court endorse a parent’s right to opt out whenever religious beliefs are in conflict with class content? Or will it reaffirm the authority of school boards to manage the school curriculum on behalf of the broader community?

Parents say they feel cornered. One mother, Grace Morrison, explained she left her job to homeschool her daughter because of the conflict. “It’s heartbreaking how many parents feel they must choose between education and faith,” she told NPR. But others argue that education in a diverse country must include stories reflecting the full spectrum of families.

A child who spoke at a recent school board meeting said it simply: “We deserve to have books in our school that teach people about LGBTQ and stuff. It’s not hurting anyone.”

This debate is bigger than one county or one curriculum. It touches on foundational questions about who shapes the values and knowledge passed on to the next generation. It also challenges the limits of pluralism in a public system meant to serve everyone.

As the Supreme Court considers its ruling, communities across the country are watching. The outcome may decide not just the fate of a handful of storybooks—but how far individual rights can go before they fundamentally reshape the school curriculum in public education.

Who should have the final say over school curriculum when values clash? Tell us what you think!

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