## Maryland Student Faces Graduation Block Due to Curriculum Dispute
A high-achieving senior at a Montgomery County, Maryland, public school is facing potential denial of graduation next month, stemming from a dispute over mandatory health course content her family deems religiously discriminatory.
The student, identified as “Jane” by Fox News Digital to protect her privacy, maintains an impressive academic record. According to her parents and school records, she excels in her studies, boasting a 4.76 weighted GPA and achieving a score of 1450 (96th percentile) on the SATs. She is also actively involved in numerous extracurricular activities at her school.
The obstacle preventing her graduation is the completion of a required health course. Her parents contend that this course incorporates what they describe as “LGBTQ+-affirming” material and presents content objectionable to their deeply held Christian faith. They have been attempting for over two years to secure an exemption, proposing alternatives such as allowing Jane to take the class at a private Catholic high school, pursuing independent study under a teacher of their choosing, or enrolling in a dual enrollment program at a community college. All these suggestions have been rejected by the Montgomery County Board of Education (MCBE).
“She’s pretty distraught about not being able to graduate with all her friends and experience that rite of passage,” stated Jane’s father.
With graduation rapidly approaching, the family has filed a petition before the Maryland Supreme Court requesting a review of their case against the MCBE. Their concerns initially arose in August 2022 when they discovered the health class would incorporate LGBTQ+ content throughout the entire year – not just within the previously designated Family Life and Human Sexuality (FLHS) unit.
Documents obtained by the parents, including teacher training materials, reportedly instruct educators to “review LGBTQ+ resources to incorporate more inclusive language” across the curriculum. These documents allegedly also include a categorization of people groups as “privileged” or “oppressed,” identifying Christians as belonging to the former and non-Abrahamic faiths within the latter category. A lesson plan purportedly prompts students to identify individuals impacted by health inequities, specifically mentioning “trans or gender-expansive,” LGBTQ+, and those adhering to non-Christian faiths.
Furthermore, one document titled “worship of the written word” allegedly encourages teachers to recognize “White supremacy culture” in both the classroom and at home.
The family’s petition argues that MCPS is exceeding its legal authority by disseminating LGBTQ+ affirming content beyond the FLHS unit. They maintain that parents have a right to opt their children out of this specific unit, as mandated by law.
“We are not trying to get MCPS to stop teaching about LGBTQ+ or change its curriculum,” the family wrote in a letter to the Maryland State Board of Education. “We are trying to get MCPS to keep that teaching restricted to the Family Life and Human Sexuality part of the curriculum so we can get notice of it and opt-out our daughter, or if MCPS is allowed to spread LGBTQ+ instruction throughout the entire health class…it follows that MCPS should allow us to opt-out our daughter from the entire class. We are trying to get MCPS to refrain from discriminating against religion.”
The parents have refrained from transferring Jane out of the district, opting instead to fight for the rights of all religious students facing similar circumstances and who may lack the resources to pursue alternative educational options.
In a separate legal action filed in March, the family has accused MCPS of withholding public information in violation of Maryland’s Public Information Act regarding their requests for class documents.
The Montgomery County Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools have declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. The Maryland State Board of Education did not respond to a request for comment.
This case comes amid another high-profile religious liberty dispute involving Montgomery County Public Schools, currently before the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the school board’s decision to eliminate parental opt-out options regarding LGBTQ+ storybooks used in classrooms. A coalition of parents representing Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths has filed a lawsuit alleging this action infringes upon their First Amendment rights by compelling participation in instruction contrary to their religious beliefs. The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in this case.
Key Facts:
- Student’s Name: “Jane” (to protect privacy)
- School District: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Maryland
- GPA: 4.76 weighted
- SAT Score: 1450 (96th percentile)
- Issue: Dispute over LGBTQ+ content in mandatory health course
- Legal Action: Petition filed before Maryland Supreme Court, separate complaint regarding public information access
