The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that public schools must allow parents to let their children “opt out” of classes using storybooks with LGBTQ+ characters.
The plaintiffs argued, and the 6-3 conservative majority agreed, that the use of the books without allowing parents to opt their children out would interfere with students’ First Amendment right to religious exercise.
John Wahl, chair of the Alabama Republican Party and the Alabama Public Library Service board of directors, praised the decision over the weekend.
“As chairman of the Alabama Public Library Service, I have been saying this for years: we must put parents back in control of what their children are exposed to. (Friday’s) Supreme Court ruling is a powerful win for religious freedom and parental rights,” Wahl said. “No child should be forced to sit through lessons that go against their family’s beliefs. Parents—not government bureaucrats—should have the final say in what their children have access to in public institutions. I applaud the Court’s decision to uphold the Constitution and protect the right of families to opt out of radical social agendas being pushed on our young people.”
Wahl has pushed the APLS to adopt changes to its state aid requirements that prevent public libraries in the state from shelving “sexually explicit” material in sections for minors. The APLS has attempted to define “sexually explicit” to include even non-sexual descriptions of nudity.
Wahl has often stated his belief that there is a Marxist or communist agenda coming down from the American Library Association. Wahl drew on a similar belief about the public education system in his response to the Supreme Court ruling.
“The modern socialist agenda has made it clear that it wants to bypass parental authority and reshape American values through our public institutions. (Friday’s) ruling is a necessary check on that overreach,” Wahl said. “This isn’t about banning books or silencing voices—it’s about restoring the rights of families to guide the moral and religious upbringing of their own children without government interference.”
