Tuberville Fights for Parents' Religious Freedoms, Protecting Children from Woke Indoctrination in Schools

March 11, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), U.S. Representative Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-04) and 63 other Republican colleagues in writing an amicus brief to the U.S Supreme Court in Mahmoud v. Taylor. The brief supports parents' constitutional right to be notified of and able to opt their children out of a school's teaching of radical gender ideology that violates their religious beliefs. Daily Caller first reported on the amicus brief.

"Our kids go to school to be educated, not indoctrinated," said Senator Tuberville. "Sadly, there are bad actors that have used their educational platform to push their own perverse ideology. Young people are the most precious commodity we have in this country, and we must protect them at all costs. We need to create greater transparency in our education system to empower parents and protect our kids. I'm proud to join Senator Cassidy and Congressman Aderholt in this amicus brief and will continue fighting for parents' right to know what is going on in their child's classroom."

Senator Tuberville was named as the Chairman of the HELP Subcommittee on Education and the American Family earlier this Congress.

Also joining Senators Tuberville and Cassidy in the amicus brief are U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Steve Daines (R-MT), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), James Lankford (R-OK), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and Jim Banks (R-IN).

BACKGROUND:

In November 2022, the Montgomery County School Board in Maryland introduced over 20 new books into pre-K through eighth-grade classrooms focused on gender identity and sexuality. Parents were initially told that they would be informed when these books would be read in the classroom and that they would have the opportunity to opt their children out. However, in March 2023, the school board rescinded the parental notification policy, stating it would no longer notify parents or allow requests to opt-out.

The amicus brief argues that this policy violates parents' constitutional right to control the religious upbringing of their children on such sensitive matters as those surrounding gender and sexuality. Specifically, the brief argues that the school board's policy is not required by federal antidiscrimination law and lacks a compelling governmental justification to violate the parents' First Amendment religious freedom rights. It also argues that decades of federal statutes passed by Congress affirm parental rights in education and support the plaintiffs' arguments that they must be given notice and an opportunity to opt their children out of learning such material.

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans' Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.