Maryland
Supreme Court takes up Maryland parents’ bid to opt kids out of lessons with LGBTQ books
Washington — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to take up a dispute over whether a Maryland school district violated parents’ religious rights when it declined to allow them to opt their elementary school children out of instruction involving storybooks about gender and sexuality.
The dispute centers around a decision by the Montgomery County School Board to end opt-out requests and notice requirements for the reading and discussion of storybooks that feature LGBTQ characters. The case sets up another clash involving LGBTQ rights and religious rights. It’s unclear whether the Supreme Court will hear arguments in its current term, which ends this summer, or its next term that will begin in October.
The books were approved for the Montgomery County Public Schools language-arts curriculum for the 2022-2023 school year as part of an effort to include new material that better represents the school district’s students and families, it said. Montgomery County is Maryland’s largest county and its school system serves more than 160,000 students.
Books introduced for students include titles like “Pride Puppy,” a picture book about a dog that gets lost at a Pride parade, and “Jacob’s Room to Choose,” about two transgender school-aged children.
Lawyers for the school district said in court filings that the books “impart critical reading skills through engaging, age-appropriate stories,” and the district follows a “careful, public, participatory selection process” to ensure they meet that criteria. The books are made available for individual reading, classroom read-alouds and other educational activities, according to the school district.
After the books were introduced, some parents sought to have their children excused when they were read or discussed. Some of these so-called out-out requests were religious-based and others were not, according to court filings. Lawyers for the board said that while teachers and principals attempted to accommodate the requests, the number grew and raised concerns about student absenteeism, the feasibility of administering opt-outs throughout the district and the “risk of exposing students who believe the storybooks represent them and their families to social stigma and isolation.”
The district then announced in March 2023 that it wouldn’t allow opt-outs from language-arts instruction that involved the storybooks “for any reason.”
The decision sparked backlash from the community, and more than 1,000 parents signed a petition urging the board to reinstate their notice and opt-out requests. Hundreds also attended school board meetings and said they had religious obligations not to subject their children to gender and sexuality instruction that conflicted with their religious beliefs.
Following the school district’s announcement, in May 2023, three sets of parents sued the Montgomery County Board of Education, alleging their First Amendment and due process rights were violated. The lead challengers are Tamer Mahmoud and Enas Barakat, who are Muslim and have a son in elementary school. Also challenging the board’s move are Chris and Melissa Persak, who are Roman Catholic and have two elementary-age children, and Jeff and Svitlana Roman, who are Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox and have a son in elementary school.
They sought a court order that would require notice and opt outs when the books were read or discussed. The parents argued their children’s exposure to the books “necessarily establishes the existence of a burden” on their right to freely exercise their religion.
A federal district court denied the request, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld the decision.
The divided three-judge panel found that there was no evidence at that time that the families were compelled to change their religious beliefs or conduct, or what they taught their children.
The parents then appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the 4th Circuit’s decision effectively requires parents to “surrender their right to direct the religious upbringing of their children by sending them to public schools.”
“Under the Fourth Circuit’s reasoning, parents cannot be heard until after the damage has been done to their children. But there is no unringing that bell — by then, innocence will be lost and beliefs undermined,” they wrote in a filing.
But the school board urged the Supreme Court to turn away the case.
They said the parents “seek to unsettle a decades-old consensus that parents who choose to send their children to public school are not deprived of their right to freely exercise their religion simply because their children are exposed to curricular materials the parents find offensive.”
Maryland parks are hosting a variety of special events during the week of July 4 to mark the nation’s 250th birthday celebration, including a tree planting, bike parade, historical reenactments, and kids crafts. With parks open on Independence Day, Marylanders can start a new tradition by hiking, learn more about our nation’s history by visiting Read the Rest…
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MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he plans to call a special session in Annapolis to redraw the state’s congressional district maps, reviving a contentious redistricting fight that stalled earlier this year.
“The status in Maryland is we are going to have a special session,” Moore said in an interview on CNN. Asked, “You are going to do it?” Moore replied, “We are going to do it.”
Moore told CNN the goal is for lawmakers to return to Annapolis and produce a new map. “Our House and our Senate will get together. They will come up with a resolution and bring it to my desk,” Moore said. “But the core criteria I’ve laid out is…doing nothing is not an option.”
It would be Moore’s second attempt at redistricting. Earlier this year, an advisory commission appointed by the governor proposed a map that would stretch the mostly Republican 1st Congressional District into largely Democratic Howard and Anne Arundel counties. The change would put Maryland’s only Republican member of Congress into a district with more Democratic voters.
The proposal drew sharp criticism during a hearing. “Governor Moore and Democrats in Annapolis, you are stealing our voice and our vote,” one speaker said. Moore responded, “It’s an important question of what’s the value of one vote and I think the answer to that is ‘what’s the value of democracy.’” Del. Kathy Szeliga said, “How can you ask us to trust democracy when you are taking it so lightly.”
ALSO READ | Gov. Wes Moore selected as Democratic nominee for Maryland’s next governor: AP
The measure passed in the House but never came to a vote in the Senate. In Annapolis today, Senate Democrats gathered to discuss what to do next.
“I think they’re meeting to figure out what can we do to make sure the judges don’t get involved and overturn what they’re trying to do,” said political analyst John Dedie.
A UMBC poll last year found only a fourth of Maryland voters considered redistricting a priority, with crime, education and health care viewed as more important.
Szeliga criticized Moore’s push, saying, “It’s unfortunate Wes Moore is doing the bidding of Democrats in Washington and not paying attention to the residents in the great state of Maryland.” Dedie said, “In many ways what he’s pursuing is future aspirations.”
Maryland’s last attempt to redraw congressional lines four years ago ended up in court, where a judge threw out the proposed maps, finding they were the product of “extreme partisan gerrymandering.” Szeliga, who successfully fought that court battle, said she is prepared to challenge another effort. “If they try to illegally change the constitution to make it unconstitutional we will challenge that,” she said.
Dediesaid a special session now appears likely. “The train has left the station. It’s just a matter of when it will arrive in Annapolis for special session,” he said.
One of the most unique ships featured in Sail250 Maryland and Airshow Baltimore can be found docked at the Baltimore Peninsula.
USS Marinette LCS25 is one of the most functional ships in the Navy fleet. At 370 feet long with 80 crew members, the ship has a helicopter landing pad and hangar, two rib boats in the belly of the vessel, and heavy artillery, including a cannon.
The ship has four engines, two of which are like jet engines, meaning it can sprint ahead of other vessels to intercept watercraft. It can also truck side to side and spin 360 degrees with controllable reversing and steering deflector buckets attached to the stern of the jet propulsion system. It can also traverse the littoral zones, water close to shore, and navigate waters as low as 15 feet deep.
“Where we shine is our ability to operate where other ships can’t,” said Cdr. Brian Sims, the ship’s executive officer. “For a 370-foot ship, one of the smallest in the fleet, it packs a punch. We can go 40 plus knots.”
The ship is used in counternarcotics missions primarily on the East Coast and in the Caribbean.
It is based in Jacksonville, Florida, but was built in Marinette, Wisconsin, which is where the ship gets its name. It began operating in 2023 and has yet to deploy. The ship can be out on the water for weeks or even months.
“We go out and find drug trafficking individuals and intercept, and the Coast Guard then takes over and arrests,” Sims said.
The pilot house is where the ship truly shines. An officer and junior officer monitor the radar and navigation, while another sailor sits at the helm and oversees steering the vessel and monitoring the engines.
“This is a very unique design for Navy ships,” Sims added.
The ship also hosts several heavy artillery pieces, including a cannon on the bow with different types of rounds to combat different threats. It can fire 220 rounds in a minute.
With its rich Naval history, Baltimore is playing host to some of the Navy’s finest, and the crews are equally as excited to be here in Maryland, the backbone of the Navy, celebrating 250 years of American history.
“Baltimore is a fantastic city, steeped in maritime tradition. Of course, we have Fort McHenry that we sailed past and rendered honors to when we arrived,” Sims said. “Having the ability to be in this role in this position on board this ship to celebrate the nation’s 250th, it’s an absolute honor, and one that, one that gives us all pause, and lets us reflect on where we’ve come as a nation.”
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