OnJanuary29,2025,PresidentTrumpsignedanexecutiveordertoprevent theuseoffederalfundstosupport“discriminatoryeducationalpractices”and mandatethatpublicschoolsexcludesystemicracism,privilege,gender ideology,andimplicitbiasfromtheircurricula.Theorderalsoprohibits federallyfundedteachertrainingprogramsfromincludingdiversity,equity, andinclusion(DEI)frameworksandlimitscomprehensiveBlackhistory education,reducingstudents'exposuretofoundationalhistoricaland contemporaryissuesaffectingBlackcommunities.
CurrentLandscape
OnJune27,theU.S.SupremeCourtruledonMahmoudv.Taylor,acase centeredaroundagroupofMarylandparentswhosoughtareligious exemptiontopreventtheirchildrenfromreadingbookswithLGBTQ+content atschool.Thelowercourtsdeniedtheparents’petition,rejectingtheirclaim thattheschool’scurriculumviolatedtheirfreedomtoexercisetheirreligion.In a6-3decisionthatsplitdownideologicallines,theSupremeCourtruledin favoroftheplaintiffsandsenttherulingbacktothelowercourtforafinal ruling.Whilethecircuitcourtdeliberates,theSupremeCourtorderedthe MarylandschoolboardtonotifyparentswhenbookswithLGBTQ+themesare assignedandtoallowparentstoexcludetheirchildrenfromrelatedlessons withoutpenalty.JusticeSoniaSotomayerreadthedissentaloudfromthe bench,anuncommonpracticetypicallyreservedfortimeswhenjusticeswish tovoiceextremeoppositiontothedecision.Inthedissent,JusticeSotomayer saidthatif“exposingstudentstothe‘message’thatLGBTQpeopleexist,and thattheirlovedonesmaycelebratetheirmarriagesandlifeevents[...]is enoughtotriggerthemostdemandingformofjudicialscrutiny,thenlittleis not.”
WhilethiscasefocusedonLGBTQ+representationandreligiousfreedom, therulingwillhavesignificantimplicationsforpublicschoolsatlarge.Inthe past,individualparentshadtoseekpermissiontoexcludetheirchildren fromlessonsabouttopicslikeevolutiononthebasisofreligion.However,the recentrulingestablishestheprecedentthatschoolsshouldpre-emptively notifyparentsaboutcurriculumthatdiscussesgenderandsexuality.This decisioncouldleadtosituationswhereparentsexempttheirchildrenfrom discussionsofotherimportanttopics,likethewomen’ssuffragemovement, thehistoryofJimCrow,orthetransatlanticslavetrade.Inthemeantime, duetotheTrumpAdministration’srecentcutstotheDepartmentof Education,schooldistrictswillhavelessfundinginthefall.Teachers,already stretchedthin,maydecidetoremovebooksorlessonsaboutdiverse peoplefromtheircurriculumtoavoidhavingtonotifyparents.InJustice Sotomayer’sdissent,sheexpressedgraveconcernaboutthisoccurrence: “Manyschooldistricts,andparticularlythemostresourcestrapped,cannot affordtoengageincostlylitigationoveropt-outrightsortodivertresources totrackingandmanagingstudentabsences.Schoolsmayinsteadcensor theircurricula,strippingmaterialthatrisksgeneratingreligiousobjections."
Whilesomelegalscholarshavedeclaredthatthisrulingisanextensionof parentalrights,otherssayitisinsteadindicativeoftheSupremeCourt’s shifttotheright.InearlyJune,theSupremeCourtruledinUnitedStatesv. SkrmettithatTennessee’sbanongender-affirmingcarefortransgender minorswasconstitutional.WhiletheSkrmetticasewasseenasavictoryfor conservatives,somearguethatitrepresentsarollbackofparentalrights,as itprohibitsparentsinTennesseefrommakingdecisionsabouttheirchild’s healthcare.WhileMahmoudv.Taylorgivesparentsmoreautonomyover theirchildren’spedagogy,italsobestowspowertoparentswhohavethe timetoconversewithschoolofficialsaboutthecurriculum.Thisrulingcould dissuadeteachersfromdiscussingracialissuesorothertopicsthatwould warrantpushbackfromasmallbutvocalgroupofparents,eveninpublic schoolswithpredominantlyBlackstudentbodies.Ontheheelsofarecent waveofbookbanningbyconservativegroups,andthisexecutiveorder, whichseekstoenddiscussionsofsystemicracisminpubliceducation, Mahmoudv.Taylorisawatersheddecisionthatmayshapepublic educationforyearstocome.