Federal Lawsuit in Maryland Highlights Importance of Laws Passed in Arkansas

LGBT, ,
Above: One of the pro-LGBT books presented to students in Maryland.

On May 24, three families — one Muslim, one Roman Catholic, and one Ukrainian Orthodox — filed a lawsuit against Maryland’s Montgomery County Board of Education.

In March the school district shifted its policy concerning objectionable material, announcing parents would no longer be notified about LGBT content at school and would no longer be allowed to opt their children out of pro-LGBT material.

World News Group writes,

[W]hen the Montgomery County school district introduced pro-LGBT children’s books into its curriculum last year, all three families decided the content of the books didn’t line up with their religious beliefs about sexuality and marriage. Since the state of Maryland and the Montgomery County district both allow students to opt out of instruction related to family life and human sexuality, the parents declined to have their children in class for the readings. But in March, the school board announced that teachers would no longer offer notice about the LGBT material and students could not opt out, according to a federal lawsuit filed against the board [in May].

The lawsuit alleges that the “Pride Storybooks” in question are not age appropriate for children and that the books “promote one-sided transgender ideology, encourage gender transitioning, and focus excessively on romantic infatuation—with no parental notification or opportunity to opt out.”

The complaint filed in court includes photographs and explanations of some of the objectionable material in the books.

For example, the lawsuit alleges that the book Pride Puppy “invites three- and four-year-olds to look for images of things they might find at a pride parade, including an ‘intersex [flag],’ a ‘[drag] king’ and ‘[drag] queen,’ ‘leather,’ ‘underwear,’ and an image of a celebrated LGBTQ activist and sex worker, ‘Marsha P. Johnson.'” It also highlights pro-LGBT books Love, Violet and Born Ready: The True Story Of A Boy Named Penelope.

These “Pride Storybooks” are similar to pro-LGBT books that have caused controversy in libraries in Arkansas.

In fact, the Arkansas State Library System indicates that Born Ready is available at the Crawford County Library System and the Crowley’s Ridge Regional Library.

Pride Puppy is available at the Crowley’s Ridge Regional Library, the Arkansas River Valley Library System, and the North Little Rock Public Library System.

And Love, Violet is available at the Crawford County Library System, the North Little Rock Public Library System, multiple locations in the Central Arkansas Library System, and other libraries in Arkansas.

All of these books target young children.

In Arkansas, lawmakers have taken steps to keep this type of material out of public school classrooms.

For example, Act 237 of 2023 — the LEARNS Act — is the omnibus education law by Sen. Breanne Davis (R – Russellville) and Rep. Keith Brooks (R – Little Rock) that helps prohibit critical race theory in Arkansas’ public schools, and it protects elementary students from inappropriate sexual material at school.

Public schools have no business promoting pro-LGBT ideology to children, and schools ought to respect parental rights. This lawsuit in Maryland serves as a reminder of those simple facts.

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Seven Religious Liberties Every Student Needs to Know About

Religious Freedom, ,

This month Family Research Council published a list of seven religious liberties everyone needs to know that public school students have.

FRC writes,

Censoring of religious expression in schools often comes from teachers and school administrators being unaware of students’ freedoms. However, the U.S. Department of Education has already clarified that students are free to speak about their faith at school. . . .Since 1995, the U.S. Department of Education has issued guidelines clarifying students’ freedom to express their faith. There are seven key liberties every student and educator needs to know.

Family Research Council says those seven rights are:

  1. The right to pray and read the Bible at school.
  2. The right to express faith in class work or homework.
  3. The right to organize prayer groups and religious clubs at school.
  4. The right to express religious belief at school events.
  5. The right to go off campus for religious studies in some states.
  6. The right to express faith at graduation ceremonies.
  7. The right of teachers to organize prayer groups with other teachers.

This is a welcome reminder once again that student’s and teachers do not shed their religious liberties at the schoolhouse doors.

One way we encourage students to exercise these religious liberties is to take part in the annual Bring Your Bible to School Day that Focus on the Family organizes each year. You can learn more about Bring Your Bible to School Day here.

You can download FRC’s printable flyer explaining these seven liberties here.

Photo Credit: Batotman [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

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Public School “Minute of Silence” Bill Filed by Rep. Debra Hobbs

Education, ,

Rep. Debra Hobbs has filed a bill (HB1690) to require that every public school in Arkansas observe a minute of silence at the beginning of each day.

During this allotted time, a student may reflect, pray, or engage in any other silent activity that doesn’t interfere with or distract another student.

School days are busy and full of distractions. We think just a little time to focus—however a student chooses to do so—will benefit students and teachers alike as they prepare for the day.

If you agree, please contact the members of the House Education Committee and ask them to support this bill. Click here for a list of every committee member. Click a name and you’ll be taken to contact information for that representative.

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