Recent SCOTUS ruling prompts reminder of parents’ rights
PHOENIX – With many Arizona schools now starting the new school year, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that parents can withdraw students from offensive classes is prompting schools chief Tom Horne to remind parents of their right to ensure schools are concentrating on academics and avoiding inappropriate lessons.
Horne said, “The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that parents have the Constitutionally protected right to opt their children out of classes when their religious beliefs conflict with course material. As the new school year begins, I am urging parents to be aware they have the power to ensure their child’s school is concentrating on academics, not social indoctrination.”
He continued, “In fact, earlier this year my office was alerted to a completely outrageous set of lessons at a Tucson-area school in which the teacher told his students that people of certain faiths want to kill LGBTQ people, students should doubt their religious beliefs, not trust their parents and suggested how to “progress” through a sex change, among other things. The teacher retired, and the matter was closed. But this is exactly the type of situation that was addressed in this recent Supreme Court decision.”
He added, “If inappropriate content is discovered in a school setting, I am urging any parent, educator, or concerned citizen to bring it to the attention of the department’s Empower Hotline. The hotline allows parents to report inappropriate content being taught that detract from teaching academic standards. These include those that focus on race or ethnicity, rather than individuals and merit, and promoting gender ideology.”
He concluded, “Students need education in reading, writing, math, science, history, and the arts. The inappropriate lessons about which parents are complaining are a distraction from these crucial academic subjects. My principal goal has been to bring back academic focus into the classrooms.”
