WASHINGTON D.C. – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday, June 27, 2025, that parents can opt their children out of classes featuring LGBTQ+ materials, a decision stemming from a case in Montgomery County, Maryland. The 6-3 ruling, largely along ideological lines, sided with parents who argued that exposure to such content violated their religious freedom and parental rights. This landmark judgment mandates that public schools must provide an opt-out provision for course material conflicting with sincerely held religious beliefs.
The case originated when a group of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish parents in Montgomery County sued the school board after it rescinded an initial opt-out policy for elementary school storybooks featuring LGBTQ+ characters and themes. Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito stated that the school board's decision to withhold opt-outs placed an "unconstitutional burden" on parents' First Amendment rights to the free exercise of their religion. The parents contended that they should not be compelled to expose their children to content that directly contradicted their religious and moral convictions.
The ruling drew immediate reactions from across the political spectrum. Former President Donald Trump praised the decision, stating, "Parents lost control of their child. This gives it back." Conversely, dissenting Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that the decision could lead to "chaos for this nation's public schools," suggesting it might empower a "subset of parents" to veto curricular choices traditionally left to elected school boards.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups also voiced strong concerns. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, stated that the ruling "not only tells LGBTQ+ students that they don't belong, but that their experiences and existence are less worthy of respect." The Montgomery County school board had previously argued that maintaining an opt-out option caused significant logistical challenges and could foster social stigma and isolation for LGBTQ+ students. This Supreme Court decision further expands religious liberty protections, aligning with a trend of similar rulings by the court's conservative majority in recent years.