People supporting the right to opt-out their children from classes containing LGBTQ-related content demonstrate outside the US Supreme Court, as the court hears oral arguments in the Mahmoud v. Taylor case, in Washington, DC, April 22, 2025. (Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images)
The Maryland parents who sued said in their petition to the high court that the school board introduced books to their elementary school students that promoted "gender transitions, Pride parades, and same-sex playground romance."
The parents said the school board initially allowed parents to opt their children out of lessons involving those books but then ceased doing that.
They also said the presence of the books created "indirect pressure to forgo a religious practice," which created enough of a burden to violate their religious freedom rights.
KEY SCOTUS PARENTAL RIGHTS CASES DRAW MCMAHON, MOMS FOR LIBERTY TO RALLY ON COURT STEPS
Ricky Rosé reads "Jack not Jackie" a children's book at a rally as oral arguments on Mahmoud v. Taylor, a religious freedom case involving LBGTQ+ curriculum, on April 22, 2025. (John McDonnell/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The parents who brought the suit span a range of religious backgrounds. Tamer Mahmoud and Enas Barakat are Muslim, while others fall under different denominations of Christianity.
During oral arguments, Justice Clarence Thomas questioned an attorney representing Montgomery County schools about whether the books simply existed in the classroom or were actively introduced to the students.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The attorney indicated that teachers gave lessons to the students involving the books in question five times during the school year.
Rosalind Hanson, a member of the conservative group Moms for Liberty, told Fox News Digital during a recent interview in front of the Supreme Court that she and other parents who helped bring the case were "not trying to change the curriculum" for parents who did support their children being exposed to the books.
"The majority of states across the country have said you can have an opt-out for these very sensitive issues and topics, especially because of the religious component, but also because of the age appropriateness," Hanson said.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-decides-whether-allow-parents-shield-children-from-lgbtq-books-school