Maryland student denied graduation over refusal to take LGBTQ-affirming ‘health’ course

A Maryland Christian student has been told she can’t graduate from a public high school because of her refusal on religious grounds to complete a required LGBTQ-affirming health course.

The student, identified only as “Jane,” has a 4.76 weighted GPA and a score of 1,450 (96th percentile) on her SATs, as reported by Fox News. But for over two years Jane and her family have been fighting the school district over the health curriculum the family says conflicts with their Christian beliefs.

“With time running out before Jane’s senior year is complete, the parents have filed a petition to the Maryland Supreme Court asking them to review their case against the Montgomery County Board of Education,” reported Fox.

In Jane’s sophomore year the family discovered she would be required to take the year-long health course, which incorporates LGBTQ content throughout the entire curriculum. 

Previously, the offensive content had been confined to the school district’s Family Life and Human Sexuality unit, from which parents could opt-out their children. While Jane’s parents didn’t object to the LGBTQ content in the Family Life unit, they drew a line on its inclusion throughout the year-long course. 

The parents asked the district to allow Jane to fulfill the health class requirement through a local Catholic high school or through independent study, but were denied, with the district insisting Jane take the class through its system or through a local community college course — an option the parents said would not provide adequate protection for their daughter against objectionable content. 

According to materials accessed by the parents, teachers were encouraged to incorporate LGBTQ-inclusive language throughout the course. 

“The teacher guide also allegedly provides teachers with a list of ‘privileged’ and ‘oppressed’ people groups, in which it names ‘Christians’ as privileged and ‘non-Abrahamic Religions/Spiritualities’ as oppressed,” reported Fox News. 

“A lesson invites teachers to have students identify people groups impacted by health inequities, such as ‘trans or gender-expansive,’ LGBTQ+, and ‘people who identify with non-Christian faiths.’” 

Following the school district’s rejection of their request, in August 2024 Jane’s parents appealed to Montgomery County’s circuit court, which ultimately sided with the district’s decision. 

In January, the family took their case to an appellate court. 

“Because of the time-sensitive nature of their request, they have petitioned for a writ of certiorari to the Maryland Supreme Court while the matter remains pending before the Appellate Court,” reported Fox News. 

The family has chosen not to transfer their daughter out of the district, but to fight the district on behalf of all families in the district whose children are forced to take the LGBTQ-affirming course against their will. 

In related news, a group of Jewish, Christian and Muslim parents filed a lawsuit against the Montgomery County Board of Education, charging the district is violating their First Amendment religious freedoms by compelling students to sit through instruction that violates their religious beliefs.  

That case is now being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, and “could set a precedent for parents’ rights in schools across the nation,” reported Fox News. “The high court’s conservative majority offered strong support to parents presenting the religious liberty case.”