The Supreme Court Is Getting Involved In The War On Books

The high court will decide whether public schools requiring students to read books with LGBTQ+ themes is a violation of their religious freedom.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday that could reshape public education for decades to come, as a group of parents is asking the high court to decide whether public schools requiring elementary-age students to read books with LGBTQ+ themes is a violation of their religious freedom.

During the 2022-23 school year, the public school system in Montgomery County, Maryland, which is just outside Washington, D.C., added LGBTQ+ books in its elementary classrooms, citing the need for more inclusivity. The new books included such stories as a prince and a knight falling in love, a family attending a Pride parade, and a transgender boy coming out to his family.

At first, Montgomery County Public Schools allowed parents to opt their children out of curriculum that included the LGBTQ+ books. But, according to the school system, the number of opt-outs became too burdensome and too many children were missing school. In March 2023, the district changed its policy and made the books required reading for all students.

In response, a group of parents, including Muslims and Catholics, sued the school district, asking for the option to continue removing their children from class. They petitioned the Supreme Court after a federal judge and an appeals court ruled against them.

“It destroys the foundation that they have, the structure of who they are, in God and in our faith,” Billy Moges, a plaintiff in the case, told The New York Times ahead of oral arguments. “And it just makes absolutely no sense. It just defies common sense.” She has since removed her three children from the school system but said she would like for them to return.