‘A painful setback’: Montgomery County leaders react to Supreme Court ruling against LGBTQ+ books

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — A Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision Friday marked the end of a years-long debate first raised in Montgomery County, with implications for children’s education nationwide.

The Court’s 6-3 decision ruled in favor of parents in Montgomery County who wanted the option to bar their kids from instruction that uses books with LGBTQ+ themes — the latest win to religious rights advocates.

The Montgomery Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) expressed disappointment over the Court’s ruling against the schools. In a statement, officials said:

Today’s decision is not the outcome we hoped for or worked toward. It marks a significant challenge for public education nationwide. In Montgomery County Public Schools, we will determine next steps and navigate this moment with integrity and purpose—guided, as always, by our shared values of learning, relationships, respect, excellence, and equity.”

Montgomery County Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools

Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Council, called the decision a “painful setback.”

Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is a painful setback—not just for Montgomery County Public Schools, but for all of us who believe that every student deserves to feel safe and welcome in the classroom. 

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I know firsthand how critical it is for young people to feel seen, heard and valued. 

Representation in education is not about politics, it’s about dignity. It’s about telling a child with two moms that their family matters. It’s about letting a trans teen know they are not alone. It’s about ensuring that every student knows they belong.

This ruling sends a chilling message, one that threatens to roll back the progress we’ve fought so hard to make. 

But let me be clear: this fight is far from over. We will continue to advocate, educate, and celebrate the beautiful diversity of our community.

They may try to silence our stories. They may try to hide our history. But they will not erase us.”

Evan Glass, Montgomery County Council

Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.-08) said the ruling “opens a gigantic Pandora’s box.”

“Can students opt out of science classes where the theory of evolution is taught if it conflicts with their family religious beliefs in creation-science? Can students opt out of history classes where wars are taught if it conflicts with their family religious beliefs about nonviolence?” he questioned.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said he was “deeply concerned about and disappointed by” the decision.

“Many in our community, including LGBTQ+ families, have experienced hate based on race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation, and these fears have only increased with the new administration,” he stated, in part. “I grew up with anti-Semitism, and I know what hate looks like. No one should have to experience that. We cannot and should not deny the reality of our diverse community, and this ruling threatens to further divide us and to legitimize exclusion.”

What was the case about?

During the 2022-2023 school year, the Montgomery County Board of Education introduced LGBTQ-inclusive texts into its public school curriculum, including five storybooks approved for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

When parents sought to have their children excused from instruction involving these books, the Board initially compromised, notifying the parents when the books would be taught and allowing their students to be excused.

Less than a year later, however, the Board recinded the opt-out policy, saying it disrupted the classroom environment.

A group of parents with religious backgrounds and “sincere views on sexuality and gender” filed a lawsuit against the Board’s decision, the Supreme Court explained in its decision Friday. The parents claimed that the Board’s policy infringed on the parents’ right to the free exercise of their religion.

The Maryland District Court rejected the parents’ argument in Mohmoud v. Taylor — a move that was later affirmed by the Fourth Circuit.

As the parents appealed their case, it made its way to the Supreme Court for deliberation. In a decision divided along party lines, the Justices announced on June 27, 2025, that they were siding with the parents.

“The Board’s introduction of the “LGBTQ+-inclusive” storybooks, along with its decision to withhold opt outs, places an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religion,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his decision.

In their dissent, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan strongly disagreed, writing that the decision will result in “chaos for this Nation’s public schools.”

“The harm will not be borne by educators alone: Children will suffer too. Classroom disruptions and absences may well inflict long-lasting harm on students’ learning and development. Worse yet, the majority closes its eyes to the inevitable chilling effects of its ruling,” Sotomayor wrote.