"Mahmoud v. Taylor is a pending United States Supreme Court case about parents who wish to opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed storybooks in public schools." (Wikipedia)
"In a country where Muslims and LGBTQI+ students alike are being targeted simply for being who they are, it is more important than ever that our taxpayer-funded public schools are learning environments that are safe and respectful of all students no matter who they are or what they believe. But right now, a few Maryland parents, with the backing of the federal government under Trump, are asking the Supreme Court to give them the power to shield their children from any acknowledgment of LGBTQI+ existence in public school.
That’s why A4TE filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Mahmoud v Taylor on Wednesday [April 9] on behalf of eight organizations including Queer Crescent, Al-Wāsi’ Collective, Atlanta Unity Mosque, Queer Muslims of Boston (QMOB), and other groups with LGBTQI+ Muslims among their members in support of Montgomery County Public Schools’ decision to include LGBTQI+-inclusive storybooks in elementary language arts classes. In it, we share a vision of real religious liberty—one that supports and includes trans and queer children and families.
— Gabriel Arkles, A4TE Co-Interim Legal Director, A4TE email, April 11, 2025
But wait. Only 43 families opted out? "Where have all the opt-outs gone?"
Consequences
"On April 30th, [2026,] the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, led by anti-trans activist and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, launched investigations into 36 Illinois public school districts over LGBTQ+ and transgender issues. The investigations target whether transgender students are allowed to use bathrooms and play sports, and whether students learn that LGBTQ+ people exist in their education and curriculum. Dhillon cited Mahmoud v. Taylor, a narrow Supreme Court ruling about religious opt-outs from storybooks that says nothing about banning LGBTQ+ content from schools, as well as a novel interpretation of Title IX that claims the law requires discrimination against transgender students. The investigations carry the implicit threat of federal funding losses and other punitive action. Notably, the Trump administration has tried this same playbook with school districts across the country and has failed repeatedly: school districts in Virginia, Denver, Chicago, and New York City all refused to comply with similar demands, and a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration's restrictions on behalf of a 16-state coalition." ("DOJ Launches Anti-Trans Investigations Into 36 Illinois School Districts Over Bathrooms And Books," Erin in the Morning, May 4, 2026)
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