(DailyVantage.com) – Due to the growing presence of LGBTQ curriculum in American schools, parents have tried to have their children excluded from specific programs, to varying degrees of success. Despite their attempts to fight against the required LGBTQ curriculum in Maryland schools, a federal court has announced that parents cannot have their children in kindergarten through third grade pulled from the controversial program. Parents attempted to cite their religious beliefs as a justification for having their children removed from the Montgomery County School District’s LGTBQ program, but a panel of federal judges weren’t convinced.
The panel ruled two to one against letting parents pull their children from the LGTBQ-focused curriculum, citing the parents’ failure to prove the program violated their religious freedom. The panel also found that the parents haven’t provided enough proof that compelling children to attend the controversial curriculum would limit their ability to determine what their kids learned in their education. While the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled against the parents, they could still appeal the case to the United States Supreme Court and have the decision reversed or remanded.
The panel of federal judges ruled against the parents and affirmed a lower court decision that required parents to allow schools to use the controversial LGTBQ curriculum. Despite the affirmation, the panel stated that they weren’t sure if the parents could end up victorious upon appeal or if they could find enough evidence to satisfy their religious freedom and due process arguments. The panel defended its decision by stating that an injunction, or a legal order preventing a certain action or outcome, requires significant evidence before it could be considered an appropriate legal remedy.
The federal judges also said the parents should use a narrower argument, as citing religious freedom violations and a due process issue requires extensive legal preparation and research. Another potential problem with the parents’ religious freedom argument likely stems from the parents involved in the lawsuit and their differing religious beliefs. Among the parents in the lawsuit are Muslims, Jewish people, and Christians.
The lawsuit started after the Montgomery County School District refused to let children prevent their young children from having to read books that featured LGBTQ-related themes. The parents claimed the school district’s decision violated their right to raise their children how they saw fit. The parents also accused the school of instructing teachers to instruct children about sexual orientation. While the parents likely plan to appeal the federal panel’s decision, the judges plainly stated that simply disagreeing with a school policy isn’t enough to establish a violation of religious freedom.
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