RFI’s Ismail Royer wrote an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News arguing that the Supreme Court’s decision in Mahmoud vs. Taylor last month was a landmark victory for religious freedom, as it “clarifies and broadens the scope of parental and religious rights enjoyed by everyone in the United States.” The case concerned Montgomery County parents who were denied the right to notice of and opt-out from instruction that promotes and same-sex relationships and transgender ideology. Royer explains:

What the ruling means in practical terms for Montgomery County parents is that the school board must notify them in advance “whenever one of the books in question or any other similar books is to be used in any way and to allow them to have their children excused from that instruction.”

But the Supreme Court’s holding will affect many more lives than those of the parents and students of Montgomery County. It set forth an expansive view of the guarantee of free exercise of religion that lies at the foundation of the American order.

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The invigorated version of the free exercise clause the court announced will endure far beyond the parents who challenged their local school board two years ago. It will be taught in law schools and scrutinized by school boards, legislatures and courts as they weigh policies that affect parents and their children. It will protect all parents who believe the right to raise their children rests in the first instance with them, rather than the government.

Read the full article: “Supreme Court protects religious freedom in Maryland.”