On April 9, 2025, FFRF filed a US Supreme Court amicus brief defending an LGBTQ-inclusive book curriculum in a Maryland school district. This case stemmed from religious objections by parents to LGBTQ-themed books that were included in their student’s school reading list. Previously, the Montgomery County School Board had given parents notice and the option to opt their children out of the reading and discussion of books that included LGBTQ characters and themes. When the district retracted those opt outs, parents claimed that the school district violated their religious rights. Those same parents also claimed that the First Amendment and Due Process Clause gave them the right to shield their children from books that offend their religion—like books with gay or transgender characters.
The brief presented three primary arguments. First, the parents fail to point to any legal precedent that supports overturning a facially neutral policy based solely on an alleged religiously hostile motive. Second, the courts have established that parents do not have a Free Exercise or Due Process right to block students from being exposed to religiously neutral classroom material. Third, the parents did not allege enough to warrant a preliminary injunction.
This brief was drafted by Senior Counsel Sam Grover, Staff Attorney Nancy Noet, and Legal Fellow Hirsh M. Joshi.
