The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, have the right to opt their children out of elementary school classes that use LGBTQ-themed books.
The 6-3 decision favored the parents, who argued that the school board’s refusal to allow an opt-out violated their First Amendment religious freedom rights.
Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the conservative majority, stated that the school board’s actions “place an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religion.”
The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority that is often receptive to religious claims. The liberal justices dissented.
“The result will be chaos for this nation’s public schools,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissenting opinion.
“Given the great diversity of religious beliefs in this country, countless interactions that occur every day in public schools might expose children to messages that conflict with a parents’ beliefs,” she added.
