Gender Ideology in Public Schools: Parents Must Have Right to Opt Out

Grace Morrison was not looking for a fight, but when her local school board tried to force transgender ideology on her youngest daughter, this Maryland mother of seven wasn’t going to back down — even at steep financial cost. Grace, along with 300 other concerned parents in Montgomery County, is asking the Supreme Court to vindicate her right to opt her young child out of exposure to instruction on human sexuality and gender identity that conflicts with her religious beliefs.

Grace and her husband, Eric, adopted their youngest daughter from Ukraine in 2013. They homeschooled their older children, but decided to enroll their youngest daughter, a girl with special learning needs (including Down’s syndrome, ADHD, and behavioral issues), in the county’s pre-K program when she was three years old. In May 2023, a neighbor asked Grace: “What are you going to do about the books?”

About the Author

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is director of the Conscience Project and recipient of the Religious Freedom Institute’s 2025 Religious Freedom Impact Award.

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Grace Morrison was not looking for a fight, but when her local school board tried to force transgender ideology on her youngest daughter, this Maryland mother of seven wasn’t going to back down — even at steep financial cost. Grace, along with 300 other concerned parents in Montgomery County, is asking the Supreme Court to vindicate her right to opt her young child out of exposure to instruction on human sexuality and gender identity that conflicts with her religious beliefs.

Grace and her husband, Eric, adopted their youngest daughter from Ukraine in 2013. They homeschooled their older children, but decided to enroll their youngest daughter, a girl with special learning needs (including Down’s syndrome, ADHD, and behavioral issues), in the county’s pre-K program when she was three years old. In May 2023, a neighbor asked Grace: “What are you going to do about the books?”