Montgomery County forced to pay religious families $1.5 million after Supreme Court ruling for parents’ rights

BecketFund ^ | 2/20/26 | Ryan Colby

[CFW]

Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Education must pay $1.5 million in damages to Becket’s clients and comply with court-enforced protections for parental rights following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling inMahmoud v. Taylor. The case arose after the School Board took away parental notice and opt-outs for storybooks that promote gender transitioning, Pride parades, and pronoun preferences to children as young as three and four (Watch this podcast episode to learn more). Becket represented a diverse coalition of religious parents including Muslims, Christians, and Jews, who successfully challenged the policy at the Supreme Court.

In the Court’s 6-3 ruling last summer, Justice Alito—writing for the majority—said that “the right of parents ‘to direct the religious upbringing of their’ children would be an empty promise if it did not follow those children into the public school classroom.” He went on to say that the Court “cannot agree” with lower courts that have ruled otherwise for over fifty years.

The Supreme Court’s decision was met with broad public agreement. New data from Becket’s 2025 Religious Freedom Index shows that 62% of Americans support the Court’s ruling.

“Public schools nationwide are on notice: running roughshod over parental rights and religious freedom isn’t just illegal—it’s costly,” said Eric Baxter, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the parents. “This settlement enforces the Supreme Court’s ruling and ensures parents, not government bureaucrats, have the final say in how their children are raised.”

Under the settlement and permanent injunction, the Montgomery County BOE must provide parents with advance notice when instructional materials addressing family life and human sexuality will be used and allow parents to opt their children out of that instruction. The agreement also requires the Board to pay damages to the families and places the district under ongoing court jurisdiction to ensure compliance.

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TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS: maryland; porn4kids; schools; teachers; transgender; transgiblets

[CFW]

Excellent!

[No name given]

Very.

[Scrambler Bob]

Hmmmm

I’m doing my taxes right now, and so I wonder: how much of that 1.5 million is taxable, state and fed???

[vpintheak]

Ain’t it a crying shame that it wasn’t unanimous?

[JZelle]

Sooo, I should convert to islam to protect my children.

[sjmjax]

Some sick people in public education.
Some sick people on the Supreme Court as well.

[fruser1]

Just like with the constant abuse of Little Sisters of Charity per abortion and that guy in Colorado who won’t do fag cakes, the DPRM will continue to push their agenda.

[Nextrush]

And the religious belief of the parents in this case just happens to be the faith you are being programmed to hate hint this follows a US Supreme Court decision in the “Mahmoud vs. Taylor case”.

[Socon-Econ]

Damages were puny.

[VanShuyten]

It looks like a good thing, but it won’t change the actions of any school district in the DC Metro area. They will just keep doing these things and paying the fine because the people who do this don’t actually pay the fines.

[SuperLuminal]

Not good enough...
Boils have to be physically lanced and drained to guarantee a cure...

[joshua c]

no

muslim Christian and Jewish parents sued

[rxh4n1]

“And the religious belief of the parents in this case just happens to be the faith you are being programmed to hate”

Though there were Christian and Jewish parents in the plaintiffs, I’d say you’re right. I think a coalition of only Christians and Jews, or Christians alone would have lost. The RoP gave them the special PC sauce for the win.

“a diverse coalition of religious parents including Muslims, Christians, and Jews”