The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will hear an appeal from parents in suburban Washington, D.C., who seek to remove their children from elementary school classes that include books featuring LGBTQ characters.
The case originates from Montgomery County, Maryland, where parents argue that the school district’s policy violates their constitutional religious rights by denying them the option to opt out of lessons involving these storybooks.
The books in question include stories such as a family attending a pride parade, a girl meeting her uncle’s future husband, a prince falling in love with a knight during a battle, a girl feeling anxious about giving a valentine to another girl, and a transgender boy sharing his gender identity with his family.
The parents contend that public schools cannot compel children to participate in lessons that conflict with their religious beliefs. They highlight existing opt-out provisions for sex education and note that the school district initially allowed exemptions for the storybooks before reversing the policy, which sparked protests in 2023.
Two of the books, Pride Puppy and My Rainbow, have since been removed from the district’s English language arts curriculum, according to The Washington Post.
Attorneys for the school district argue that the books are a minor part of the curriculum and depict everyday experiences, emphasizing themes of adventure, self-expression, and emotion—similar to classic tales like Snow White and Peter Pan.
It remains uncertain whether the case will be argued this spring or during the Supreme Court’s next term starting in October.
