California Parents Sue School District for Ignoring Supreme Court Opt-Out Ruling
Justin and Rose Taylor, parents of four young children in Sunnyvale, California, filed a federal lawsuit on June 22 against the Sunnyvale School District, alleging it denies parents notice and opt-out rights for lessons on sexuality and gender that conflict with their Christian faith. The suit claims the district instructed teachers to "resist pressures" to honor opt-out requests and told parents its curriculum, which the family says integrates LGBTQ themes into math and history lessons and replaces the word "women" with "ovaries" in health materials, "is not optional and is not subject to parent opt-out provisions."
The Taylors argue the district's position directly defies the Supreme Court's June 2025 ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which required schools nationwide to let parents opt children out of instruction that conflicts with sincerely held religious beliefs. The district had briefly offered an opt-out form before reversing course, according to the complaint.
