Judge Rules Parents Can’t Opt Children Out of LGBTQ Lessons

A Maryland judge issued a ruling that parents can't opt their children out of taking LGBTQ lessons in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Judge Deborah L. Boardman ruled on Thursday that Muslim and Christian parents can't decide to opt their children out of taking part in lessons discussing LGBTQ content in reading books, according to Fox News .

The ruling comes after the parents filed a lawsuit, Tamer Mahmoud v. Monica B. McKnight, trying to reinstate a previous policy that would allow them to take their children out of such lessons, arguing that it violated their religious reliefs.

"Because the plaintiffs have not established any of their claims is likely to succeed on the merits, the Court need not address the remaining preliminary injunction factors," Judge Boardman wrote in her ruling.

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"Nonetheless, because a constitutional violation is not likely or imminent, it follows that the plaintiffs are not likely to suffer imminent irreparable harm, and the balance of the equities and the public interest favor denying an injunction to avoid undermining the School Board's legitimate interests in the no-opt out policy," the judge wrote.

In 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools introduced over 22 LGBTQ books into classrooms, and initially, they notified parents and allowed children to opt out of lessons, according to the outlet.

Hundreds of parents gathered outside of a Montgomery County Public School Board meeting in June to signal protest over the decision to not allow children to be opted out of gender ideology and LGBTQ lessons, according to NBC Washington.