Montgomery County Public Schools tells parents they cannot opt their children out of lessons involving LGBTQ issues in class

A concerned community member reached out to Parents Defending Education and explained that Montgomery County Public Schools sent an email to parents telling them they cannot opt their children out of learning about LGBTQ issues in classrooms. This email is posted online and is dated March 23, 2023. The school district states in its message:

MCPS expects all classrooms to be inclusive and safe spaces for students, including those who identify as LGBTQ+ or have family members in the LGBTQ+ community. A broad representation of personal characteristics within curricular or instructional materials promotes this desired outcome. Therefore, as with all curriculum resources, there is an expectation that teachers utilize these inclusive lessons and texts with all students.

The school district continues to explain: “Students and families may not choose to opt out of engaging with any instructional materials, other than ‘Family Life and Human Sexuality Unit of Instruction’ which is specifically permitted by Maryland law. As such, teachers will not send home letters to inform families when inclusive books are read in the future.“