Montgomery County agrees to pay parents who sued to stop LGBT school lessons

Montgomery County in Maryland has agreed to pay the parents who had to sue to force the schools to allow their kids to opt out of pro-LGBT lessons.

The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which sided with the parents last year, ruling that the county violated their rights by not giving them the chance to keep their kids from hearing messages that conflicted with their religious beliefs.

In a settlement reached this week, the county Board of Education agreed to give advance notice when students will be taught potentially controversial subjects on sexuality and will give parents a chance to opt out. The board agreed to submit itself to the court for compliance.

The board also agreed to pay “damages” to the families, to the tune of $1.5 million, according to Becket, a religious liberty organization that argued the case for the families.

“Public schools nationwide are on notice: running roughshod over parental rights and religious freedom isn’t just illegal — it’s costly,” said Eric Baxter, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the parents. “This settlement enforces the Supreme Court’s ruling and ensures parents, not government bureaucrats, have the final say in how their children are raised.”

Becket said the settlement carries out the wishes of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The case that reached the justices, Mahmoud v. Taylor, resulted in a 6-3 ruling that said the county had placed a burden on the families’ rights by forcing them to send their kids to lessons that contradicted their religious teachings.

The lessons were taught to children of all ages, including in preschool. One of the books the county used, and which made it into the Supreme Court oral argument, was “Pride Puppy,” which introduces 3- and 4-year-olds to pride parades. Students can try to spot an “intersex flag,” “drag queen,” “underwear” and “leather.”

The county had said its goal was to promote tolerance. It pondered an opt-out but ultimately didn’t allow one.

Parents from Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths were among the challengers.

As part of the settlement the county said it has agreed to send out quarterly notices on the materials it is using so families can make informed decisions about their children’s participation.

“With the legal process concluded, our focus remains on the steps that we have taken to meet the court’s mandate,” said Liliana Lopez, a school spokesperson. “We have implemented proactive measures to ensure compliance and improve responsiveness. This work is ongoing, and we remain dedicated to partnering with our families to guarantee we are moving forward in a way that aligns with the court’s decision.”