BREAKING NEWS | "What's going on?"
According to a recent article in the Washington Post, a federal judge Thursday denied a request to let Montgomery County parents pull their children out of the classroom when books with LGBTQ characters are read aloud.
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There were multiple families (from both the Muslim and Christian faiths) that participated in the lawsuit against Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. Their argument was that "the use of LGBTQ storybooks forces religious parents to either forgo their beliefs or depart the public school system."
Their request was for their children to not be forced to participate in those readings before the commencement of the 2023-2024 school year. This was to be on a temporary basis while litigation is ongoing regarding this subject.
In a 60 page opinion, Judge Deborah Boardman of the U.S. District Court for Maryland in Greenbelt said that the parents did not show that the no-opt-out policy would “result in the indoctrination of their children or otherwise coerce their children to violate or change their religious beliefs.”
With or without an opt-out right, the parents remain free to pursue their sacred obligations to instruct their children in their faiths,”
Eric Baxter, who is an attorney representing the religious parents, said the decision was “wrong on multiple levels,” since courts have recognized that “indirect pressure on parents or students to abandon their religious beliefs is sufficient to trigger the First Amendment.”
“In our view, it’s absurd that the school board is allowing high school students to opt out of the same material when it’s presented in their health ed classes, but not elementary school kids when it’s presented during story hour,” Baxter said in an interview. He said he will appeal the decision with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.
Montgomery County Public Schools made a statement after the ruling saying that it “remains committed to cultivating an inclusive and welcoming learning environment and creating opportunities where all students see themselves and their families in curriculum materials.”
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Dawn M. Williams is an entrepreneur. These articles in the "What's going on?" BREAKING NEWS series do not come out on a schedule. The subject matters are real conversations she has with her salon clients.
They do not necessarily represent the opinions of her, her staff or her representatives. Her opinion articles are under the umbrella of "My two cents" which are released weekly on this blog site at 12pm EST on Sundays. Check out her podcast below.
