Landmark Victory: Parents Awarded $1.5 Million After School Board Violates Religious Rights
A Maryland court has ordered the Montgomery County Board of Education to pay $1.5 million in damages for violating the fundamental religious liberties of families. The settlement follows the landmark 2025 US Supreme Court ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which found the district wrongly barred parents from opting their children out of instruction involving gender ideology and pride parades.
Standing for Biblical Truth
Scripture affirms that parents—not the State—hold the primary authority to raise their children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4, ESV). For three years, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish families fought the district's attempt to mandate storybooks lauding transgenderism for children as young as three.
“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. We have thus recognized limits on the government’s ability to interfere with a student’s religious upbringing in a public school setting.” –Justice Alito
Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion in Mahmoud v. Taylor noted that the school district’s actions were hostile to parents' beliefs and sought to pressure children to conform to secular viewpoints.
A Win for Educational Freedom & PARENTAL RIGHTS
This settlement, secured by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, places the district under permanent court jurisdiction to ensure full compliance. Montgomery County schools are now legally required to provide advance notice of all instructional materials addressing sexuality
This victory sends an unmistakable message to school boards nationwide: violating the God-given rights of parents is not only a moral failure—it is a legal and financial liability. At CCV, we are moving beyond just defending rights to creating real alternatives. By advocating for educational freedom that funds students rather than systems, and pioneering our school-in-a-church model, we are ensuring Ohio families never have to choose between their faith and their child's future.
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or contact@ccv.org. For media inquiries, email media@ccv.org.
As Ohio's largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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