Fighting for Parental Authority: The Battle Over What Schools Teach Our Kids

On April 22, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Mahmoud v. Taylor, a critical case

that will determine whether parents have the right to opt their children out of public-

school lessons on gender identity and sexuality that contradict their religious beliefs.

The case began in Montgomery County, Maryland, where public schools introduced to

children as young as three to books like Pride Puppy, Love, Violet, and A Book About

Pronouns—materials promoting transgender ideology and same-sex relationships.

Parents from Christian and other faith backgrounds asked to be notified and given the

option to opt out. The school district refused, and lower courts sided with the district.

Now, the Supreme Court must decide who holds the authority to guide a child’s moral

and spiritual development: parents or government officials. If the Court rules against

the families, schools across the country could gain power to expose children to

sensitive, ideologically driven content without parental knowledge or consent. This

case is not just about Maryland—it’s about the future of parental rights and religious

liberty in America.

Churches and families must be alert. God has entrusted parents—not the state—with the

responsibility to raise children in truth. If that God-given authority is undermined, the

ability of churches to disciple the next generation will be severely threatened.

As oral arguments begin, Christians across the nation should be praying, staying

informed, and speaking out. The outcome will shape not only public education, but the

freedom of parents to lead their families according to biblical convictions for

generations to come.