Supreme Court hears religious freedom case on LGBTQ storybooks

The Supreme Court is set to hear a high-profile case involving parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, who argue that their religious rights are violated by the school district's refusal to allow opt-outs from elementary school lessons featuring LGBTQ+ storybooks. The parents, from diverse faith backgrounds, contend that such material conflicts with their beliefs and cite past Supreme Court precedent allowing religious exemptions in education. School officials and civil rights advocates counter that permitting broad opt-outs based on religious objections would undermine public schools' ability to educate all students and create unmanageable administrative burdens. This case has sparked debate over the balance between religious freedom, parental authority, and inclusive curricula in public education, with some warning that a ruling favoring the parents could erode the separation of church and state. The Supreme Court's recent track record shows a pattern of siding with religious interests in similar disputes. The outcome may set a significant precedent for how public schools nationwide handle religious objections to curriculum content.