Liberal-leaning Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — who was unable to define what a woman is in her confirmation hearing — appeared to side with a Maryland school district on Tuesday that is attempting to force young children to participate in LGBTQ+ curriculum, despite objections from parents.
In 2022, the Montgomery County Board of Education announced “inclusivity” books for K-5 students and took away parental notice and opt-outs for story books that discuss topics like “gender” transitions, pride parades, and preferred pronouns. In 2023, a federal court upheld a lower court decision siding with Maryland’s largest school district, and the mix of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish parents appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court agreed to take up the case in January.
In their petition, parents ultimately asked the Supreme Court to answer: “Do public schools burden parents’ religious exercise when they compel elementary school children to participate in instruction on gender and sexuality against their parents’ religious convictions and without notice or opportunity to opt out?”
“We don’t at this moment, based on the record you’ve provided, know that these books aren’t just sitting on the shelves,” Justice Jackson said of the reading materials, which include The Pride Puppy, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, and Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope.