another reason why Maryland sucks

Headline:

(May 16, 2024) Federal Court: Parents in Maryland School District Cannot Opt K-5 Children Out of LGBTQ Curriculum

A federal court on Wednesday upheld a Maryland school district policy that does not allow parents to opt their young K-5 children out of curriculum about gender identity and sexuality.

In a 2-1 panel decision released by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, federal judges affirmed a lower court decision denying the request of religious parents to block the policy issued by the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) board in March of 2023. Judge G. Steven Agee, a President George W. Bush appointee, wrote the majority opinion stating that parents did not present enough evidence to show that the policy violates the free exercise of their religion and their due process right to direct their children’s education.

“We take no view on whether the Parents will be able to present evidence sufficient to support any of their various theories once they have the opportunity to develop a record as to the circumstances surrounding the Board’s decision and how the challenged texts are actually being used in schools,” Agee wrote.

“At this early stage, however, given the Parents’ broad claims, the very high burden required to obtain a preliminary injunction, and the scant record before us, we are constrained to affirm the district court’s order denying a preliminary injunction.”

The Muslim, Jewish, and Christian parents, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, argued that the district’s refusal to allow their young children to opt out of reading of LGBTQQIAAP2S+-themed books or participation in the curriculum violated their right to raise their children in accordance with their faith and how their faith defines identity and sexuality. Parents also argued the material is not age-appropriate for such young students.

Prepping kids for a sexually polymorphous society is probably the right thing to do given the complexity of human sexuality... but I stand with those who think this shouldn't be happening with K-5 kids. It's perverse at that age. Let kids be kids and not worry about this nonsense until later. And yes, it's nonsense. If you're killing yourself over this stuff, you're mentally ill.