Ted Budd, Senator of North Carolina, said that the Supreme Court’s latest ruling upholds parents’ rights to influence their children’s education when it conflicts with their religious beliefs. The statement was made on X.
“Big win for parents & the First Amendment,” said Budd. “The Supreme Court just affirmed the rights of parents to have a say in what their young children are learning in school, especially if it violates their religious beliefs. Proud to stand with parents & families across America!”
On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled in Mahmoud v. Taylor that Maryland parents must be allowed to opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed school lessons. According to The Washington Post, the court found that mandatory exposure without an opt-out option violates religious liberty and parental rights under the First Amendment.
SCOTUSblog notes that the Mahmoud ruling led hundreds of school districts nationwide to update their opt-out procedures. EdWeek reports that 27 states have since adopted parental notification or opt-out requirements for controversial curricula, reflecting the growing impact of parental rights litigation.
According to Supreme Court documents, previous cases like Pierce v. Society of Sisters and Wisconsin v. Yoder protected broad parental authority in education but rarely mandated curricular opt-outs. After Mahmoud, lower courts are treating the decision as a significant expansion of explicit opt-out rights for parents.
Wikipedia notes that Ted Budd is a Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina and former Treasury official who supported amicus briefs in Mahmoud v. Taylor and advocates for greater parental control over school curricula, consistent with his legislative focus on religious liberty and education.
