The largest school district in Maryland will limit access for parents at an upcoming meeting where it will discuss a policy that bars parents from opting their children out of lessons on gender identity and sexuality.
Montgomery County Public Schools is set to hold a meeting Tuesday evening, and instead of its usual policy of opening the meeting to the public, the district said in a statement it is limiting it to "scheduled speakers, invited attendees, and other guests." The district cited concerns over "safety" as reason for the limitation.
The board will discuss a policy that forbids parents from pulling their children out of lessons they find inappropriate. Parents filed a lawsuit last month against the district for not being allowed to remove their kids from lessons on gender orientation and sexual identity. The parents, a Muslim and a Christian family, argue the prohibition violates their First Amendment religious rights.
Christopher Cram, director of communications for the district, told National Review that "public access to the meeting remains the same for scheduled public speakers, agenda speakers, and other guests" but did not clarify how the district selected guests.
The lawsuit cites the use of "Pride Storybooks" in lessons for children on gay and transgender topics.
"The School Board’s recent about-face strips away [a] long-standing protection of parental rights," according to the lawsuit. "This violates not just Maryland law and Board policy and practice but also the United States Constitution."
It's the latest example of Democrats attempting to prevent parents from having a say in lessons for their children on LGBT topics. Just last week, the Democratic New Jersey attorney general announced a lawsuit against three school districts for having policies that mandate teachers to inform parents if a child publicly changes his or her gender identity.
Democrats in California advanced legislation this month to consider a child's "gender affirmation" a part of his or her health, safety, and welfare when it comes to custody disputes, meaning a parent who "affirms" their child would be favored in a battle for custody.