On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, which pits Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland against a group of parents who believe the school district has violated their parental and religious rights. It is, by far, the biggest legal flashpoint in the ongoing cultural battle over what control parents have over what their children can be taught in public schools.
Although the parents have lost in the lower courts, the Supreme Court’s current 6–3 conservative majority gives them hope that this time, the outcome will be different.
“We are eager for the Court to recognize that parents are the primary teachers of their children and that schools must work with us, not against us,” said Billy Moges, one of the plaintiffs in the case.
“We are hopeful that the Court will let kids be kids and let parents guide their religious futures,” said Grace Morrison, another plaintiff.
For more than a decade, of course, parents across the country have fought, both in court and in the political arena, with school districts as they’ve tried to ensure that their religious beliefs are not violated in the classroom. But this is the first time such a case has reached the Supreme Court. The stakes are high: A victory will enable parents—not just in Montgomery County but across the country—to engage with their local public schools without their religious traditions and beliefs being violated.
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