A Montgomery County judge has ruled that students in the county cannot opt out of reading LGBTQ storybooks in their classrooms. The ruling comes after a group of parents filed a lawsuit against the Montgomery County Board of Education, claiming that the books violated their religious beliefs.
The lawsuit was filed in 2019 by a group of parents who argued that the books, which included titles such as “I Am Jazz” and “George,” violated their religious beliefs. The parents argued that the books promoted a “homosexual agenda” and were not age-appropriate for their children.
However, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Michael Mason ruled that the books did not violate the parents’ religious beliefs and that the school board had the right to include them in the curriculum. Judge Mason noted that the books were “age-appropriate” and “did not promote any particular religious belief.”
The judge also noted that the school board had taken steps to ensure that students who did not wish to read the books were not forced to do so. The school board had allowed students to opt out of reading the books and had provided alternative assignments for those who chose to do so.
The ruling is a victory for LGBTQ rights advocates, who have long argued that LGBTQ-inclusive books should be included in school curriculums. They argue that such books help to create a more inclusive and accepting environment for LGBTQ students.
The ruling is also a reminder that parents do not have the right to dictate what their children are exposed to in the classroom. While parents have the right to express their religious beliefs, they do not have the right to impose those beliefs on their children or on the school system.
The ruling is a reminder that schools have the right to include books that reflect the diversity of their student body and that parents do not have the right to opt their children out of such books. It is a victory for LGBTQ rights advocates and a reminder that schools should strive to create an inclusive and accepting environment for all students.
