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Mahmoud v. Taylor
2025 US Supreme Court Decision, Mahmoud v. Taylor
This 2025 US Supreme Court ruling addresses the rights of parents regarding instructional content that conflicts with a family's religious beliefs. The Court made clear that parents do not have the authority to shield children from all ideas that may conflict with their beliefs. However, public schools must implement procedures to respect parental religious freedom, especially with young children and when instruction is “unmistakably normative” and conflicts with sincerely held religious beliefs. The original case involved LGBTQ+-inclusive storybooks, but the ruling encompasses any lessons or materials that may conflict with a family’s sincerely held religious beliefs
Our curriculum, texts, and classroom libraries are intentionally designed to reflect the diversity of our Scarsdale families, the broader community, and the world. As well, we approach diversity as a strength and celebrate the diversity of our community.
We will continue to use and develop materials that include multiple perspectives and identities, in alignment with our Board of Education’s DEI policy and New York State’s Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education Framework.
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Please note that these are not exhaustive lists, but texts embedded in educational units or courses. Educators may use developmentally appropriate texts and resources in a flexible, responsive way that meets the needs of their students, and use texts from our diverse classroom and school libraries.
- Elementary Common mentor texts and read-alouds by grade
- Middle School Texts in English and Social Studies
- High School Texts in English and History
- In addition, as has been our practice, parents will be made aware of lessons concerning sex education and puberty education, and opt-outs will continue to be honored.
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It would be impractical and unsustainable to attempt to determine and predict which lessons families may find objectionable.
- Board policy on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion:
- New York State’s Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education Framework. This guidance indicates the regular and integrated use of text and materials that represent multiple perspectives, cultures, and identities.
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Parents may contact their child’s teacher or building administration to request that their child be opted out of instruction that directly and positively affirms identities, ideas, and expressions that conflict with their religious beliefs.
Parents will be sent a short form to fill out. We will make accommodations for alternative learning activities during the relevant lesson to the extent practicable. As outlined by the ruling, this means that students will still be exposed to diverse identities, ideas, and expressions through the course of the instruction or curriculum