| Mahmoud v. Taylor | |
|---|---|
 Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Full case name | Tamer Mahmoud, et al. v. Thomas W. Taylor, et al. |
| Docket no. | 24-297 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Preliminary injunction denied, Mahmoud v. McKnight, 688 F. Supp. 3d 265 (D. Md. 2023); affirmed, 102 F.4th 191 (4th Cir. 2024); cert. granted (Jan. 17, 2025) |
| Questions presented | |
| "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 with-out notice or opportunity to opt out?" | |
Mahmoud v. Taylor is a pending United States Supreme Court case about parents who wish to opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed storybooks in public schools. The court will review whether the schools' policy violated the parents' right to free exercise of religion under the First Amendment.
Background
In October 2022, the Montgomery County Board of Education in Maryland approved LBGTQ-themed storybooks as part of the language arts curriculum. For example, Pride Puppy! was an alphabet primer for young children, telling the story of a puppy who gets lost at a pride parade. At first, the schools notified parents before the books would be used, and accommodated requests to have their children excused; then, in March 2023, the school district changed the policy, no longer allowing opt-outs.
A group of parents sued the school board. The lead plaintiffs Tamer Mahmoud and Enas Barakat are Muslims; others included Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox parents. The parents sought parental notification and the option to opt out whenever the books would be used. The lawsuit did not challenge the adoption of the books in the curriculum. A federal judge ruled against a request for a preliminary injunction to temporarily require notice and opportunity to opt out. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit agreed, finding that the record lacked evidence that the schools compelled families to change or violate their religious beliefs. The parents petitioned to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case.
References
- https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/qp/24-00297qp.pdf
- ^ "Supreme Court to Hear Case on Religious Objections to L.G.B.T.Q. Storybooks". The New York Times. January 17, 2025.
- Stevenson, Robin; McLaughlin, Julie (2021). Pride Puppy!. Orca Book Publishers. ISBN 9781459824867.
- "Justices take up Maryland parents' challenge to LGBTQ books in schools". SCOTUSblog. January 17, 2025.
- ^ "Supreme Court takes up Maryland parents' bid to opt kids out of lessons with LGBTQ books". CBS News. January 17, 2025.
- ^ "Supreme Court takes up parents' bid to opt out of LGBTQ content at elementary schools". NBC News. January 17, 2025.
- Mahmoud v. McKnight, 688 F. Supp. 3d 265 (D. Md. 2023)
- Mahmoud v. McKnight, 102 F.4th 191 (4th Cir. 2024)