In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent batch of cases, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) praised the Court’s decision to uphold parents’ right to opt their children out of classes addressing the topics of gender and sexuality. In a public statement authored by Bishop Rhoades, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Religious Liberty, the USCCB stressed the importance of protecting every parent’s role in the moral formation of their children.
“Public schools in our diverse country include families from many communities with a variety of deep-seated convictions about faith and morals,” Rhoades stated. “When these schools address issues that touch on these matters, they ought to respect all families. Parents do not forfeit their rights as primary educators of their children when they send their kids to public schools. The parents in Montgomery County did not seek to impose their religious viewpoints on others; they simply asked to opt out of a program that was offensive to their faith.
“To be sure, children should not be learning that their personal identity as male or female can be separated from their bodies. But if a public school chooses to offer these kinds of programs, it ought to respect those who choose not to participate. The school board was wrong to interfere with the rights of the parents, and I am grateful that the Supreme Court has moved to rectify this injustice.”