Parents Head to Federal Court After County Revokes 'Opt-Out' Policy for LGBTQ Storybooks

Some Maryland parents are taking their fight against LGBTQ-oriented books to federal court. 

The so-called "inclusivity" books were announced for pre-K through eighth-grade students last fall. However, instead of focusing on basic principles of respect and kindness, the books champion controversial ideologies around gender and sex and focus on children's romantic feelings. 

A group of multi-faith religious parents in Montgomery County wants the ability to opt out of having their elementary-aged children read storybooks with what they see as extremist ideology, saying it's "forced inculcation."

Their case will go before the U.S. District Court for Maryland on Wednesday. 

Will Haun, senior counsel with Becket Law, will be arguing that case. He told CBN's Faith Nation on Monday the lawsuit is being brought by a diverse coalition of parents across Montgomery County, including Muslims, Christians, and Jews. 

"And while they have disagreements on all matters of their religious traditions, the one thing they agree on is that parents get to direct the religious upbringing of their children," Haun said. "When schools are teaching matters that go to the core of a child's own self-understanding of who that child is when he or she looks in the mirror, that goes to the core of the parent-child relationship. And parents are the first teachers."

"That's what's at the core of this case, and it's also at the core of constitutional protections that we're seeking to vindicate for them," Haun added. 

The Becket attorney said this is not a challenge to the district's curriculum or second-guessing a choice made by the school board. Previously, the parents had opt-outs available to them. They were being used and they were working, he said. 

"And then, the school board on March 23, just withdrew them and said going forward we won't tell you in advance when these books will be read to your kids, and you'll have no opportunity to opt them out," he told CBN News. 

He explained the issue here is to restore the opt-out policy Montgomery County already had.

In our previous coverage, CBN News reached out to the Montgomery County Board of Education for comment but never heard back. 

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