Parental Rights Are Not Negotiable

Washington, DC - June 27, 2025

On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States delivered a 6-3 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, 24-297. Justice Samuel Alito delivered the opinion of the Court, joined by Chief Justice Roberts, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. Justice Clarence Thomas filed a concurring opinion. Justice Sonia Sotomayor filed a dissenting opinion, in which Kagan and Jackson joined.

Earlier this year, Dr. Simone Gold and the AFLDS legal team filed an amici curiae brief with the Supreme Court in support of the Petitioners. The Petitioners are a coalition of Maryland parents who sued the Montgomery County Board of Education for forcing their young children to read sexually explicit books pushing radical gender ideology without parental notification or the opportunity to opt out. In today’s landmark ruling, the High Court held that “Parents challenging the Board’s introduction of the ‘LGBTQ+-inclusive’ storybooks, along with its decision to withhold opt outs, are entitled to a preliminary injunction.”

In delivering the opinion of the Court, Justice Alito wrote, “A government burdens the religious exercise of parents when it requires them to submit their children to instruction that poses ‘a very real threat of undermining’ the religious beliefs and practices that the parents wish to instill. And a government cannot condition the benefit of free public education on parents’ acceptance of such instruction.”

America’s Frontline Doctors salutes SCOTUS for affirming the Petitioners’ parental rights to protect their children from dangerous curricula contrary to their religious beliefs. In doing so, the Court has set a legal precedent for any citizen battling government usurpation across the country. AFLDS proudly stands with the brave parents of Maryland and all parents across the nation - who are boldly defending their parental rights. 

In a statement following this landmark victory, AFLDS attorney David Dalia stated, “It is very gratifying to see our Supreme Court reaffirm the fundamental rights of parents to guide their children’s educations, to guide their children’s religious upbringings, and to protect their children from influences which they deem harmful. Montgomery County stubbornly refused to allow parents any opportunity to opt out of the promotion of inappropriate and harmful ‘gender ideology’ to minors as young as kindergarten age. School boards throughout the nation recognize the necessity of respecting parental wishes in many other areas of childhood education, including religious education, and especially in sensitive matters of human sexuality, matters traditionally reserved to parents. Montgomery County was an outlier in their failed attempt to usurp the parent-child relationship. This improper attempt at parental usurpation has now been stopped by this excellent decision.”

AFLDS Founder and President Dr. Simone Gold added, “The Montgomery County Board of Education usurped the parental authority of Maryland parents, causing irreversible psychological and physical harm to their children. The Supreme Court has reversed this dangerous Marxist overreach. Parents have the fundamental right to raise their children free from state-imposed indoctrination. Parental rights are NOT negotiable and cannot be seized by the state. Today’s ruling is an important step in stamping out government usurpation in the United States of America.”

Stay tuned - We will keep you updated on our progress and efforts to safeguard the constitutional rights of every citizen. 

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About AFLDS

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Media Contact Lisa Alexander, Communications Director | Media@AFLDS.org