Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following statement in response to [last Friday, June 27’s] ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States in Mahmoud, et al. v. Taylor, et al., rejecting the discretion of public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, to incorporate LGBTQ-inclusive books into their curricula without offering parents an opt-out option. 

“I’m deeply disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision to undermine public schools’ long-standing authority—and obligation—to create inclusive curricula, which prepare our children to succeed in a diverse society. Requiring a parent opt-out for LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum not only sends a harmful message to LGBTQ+ students, who already face higher risks of bullying and discrimination, but also threatens other forms of inclusive education—including Black history and other culturally significant experiences that have shaped our shared democracy. I remain committed to defending inclusive education that teaches all students to respect one another, regardless of, and without interfering with, their respective beliefs,” said AG Campbell.

In April 2025, AG Campbell co-led a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the Supreme Court in support of the respondents, arguing that the use of curricula with LGBTQ-inclusive books without an opt-out option falls within public schools’ longstanding authority to foster safe learning environments and does not violate anyone’s right to freely exercise their religious beliefs.

In the [June 27] decision, the Supreme Court reversed a previous ruling by the Fourth Circuit, which had affirmed a lower court’s decision to deny petitioning parents’ motion for a preliminary injunction requiring public schools in Montgomery County to permit parental opt-outs for LGBTQ-inclusive books in school curricula.   

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