On Friday, the United States Supreme Court handed down a victory for Maryland families. In its decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the court affirmed a simple truth that too many school districts — Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) included — have tried to ignore: Parents have the fundamental right to direct their children’s education, particularly when it comes to sensitive matters of sex, identity and religious belief.
At the heart of the case was whether Maryland public schools could impose ideological and sexually charged material on young children — without parental notification, much less opt-out. MCPS’s “Pride Storybooks” program instructed pre-K and elementary students in radical ideas about gender identity and sexual relationships — telling them, for instance, that doctors “guess” a child’s gender at birth and that boys can be girls based on feelings alone. School officials at first granted, then abruptly denied, parents the right to opt their children out of these lessons. This despite clear and longstanding legal precedent, reflected in Maryland regulation, that parents hold the primary responsibility for raising and forming their children.
Thankfully, the Supreme Court has now reminded us that our Constitution still honors that foundational truth.
The Maryland Family Institute filed an amicus brief in this case on behalf of concerned families across our state and nation. Our message to the court? The government does not have the authority to override parents when it comes to shaping a child’s moral, religious and sexual development. And when public schools attempt to do so — especially behind parents’ backs — they cross both legal and ethical lines.
The court agreed. In doing so, it reinforced nearly a century of precedent — from Meyer v. Nebraska to Pierce v. Society of Sisters to Troxel v. Granville — that affirms the constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. This is not just a matter of religious liberty, though that is a central concern. It’s a matter of basic human dignity and trust. No school district should ever use its authority to indoctrinate children or conceal information from their families.
This case was never about banning books or stigmatizing students. It was about the rights of parents to educate their children according to their values. If Montgomery County truly wanted to honor the diversity of its communities, it would have created materials that reflect a wide range of views — not just those aligned with progressive sexual ideologies — and provided opt-outs for parents whose sincerely held religious views differ. Instead, the program selectively promoted one viewpoint while silencing others, effectively teaching children that religious beliefs about sexuality and gender are outdated or even hateful. As Justice Samuel Alito observed, “The books are unmistakably normative. They are designed to present certain values and beliefs as things to be celebrated, and certain contrary values and beliefs as things to be rejected.”
This is not neutrality. This is indoctrination — and it does not belong in Maryland classrooms.
The consequences of ignoring parental rights are not hypothetical. As our amicus brief highlighted, prematurely exposing children to sexually charged content can negatively affect their mental and emotional development. It can create confusion, anxiety and distrust between parents and their children. For children of faith, it can even shake their spiritual foundations. The freedom to pass on one’s beliefs to the next generation is a cornerstone of any truly pluralistic society. Remove that freedom, and we are no longer a nation of liberty.
That is why this decision matters — not just for the families directly involved, but for every Maryland parent who has ever felt dismissed, silenced or shut out of their child’s education. It is a wake-up call to our state and local officials: Parents are not the enemy. They are the primary educators, nurturers and protectors of their children.
The Maryland Family Institute stands with these parents. We continue to advocate for policies that respect the sacred bond between parent and child and that protect the moral and religious foundations on which so many Maryland families are built. We also continue to challenge school systems and government entities that try to impose ideology in place of instruction.
In a moment when cultural winds shift rapidly, this Supreme Court decision anchors us to something enduring: the truth that children do best when raised by parents who are free to guide their moral and spiritual formation. That freedom is not a privilege granted by the state. It is a right, recognized by our Constitution and rooted in objective truth and natural law.
Jeffrey S. Trimbath (jtrimbath@marylandfamily.org) is the president of the Maryland Family Institute.