A large school district near Washington says it banned opt-outs from lessons based on books featuring gay and transgender characters because too many parents requested their children be excused from the lessons.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland banned opt-outs on March 23, after initially allowing some students to leave classrooms when the lessons were taught.
District guidelines allow schools to adjust their curriculum to “accommodate requests from students, or requests from parents/guardians on behalf of their students, to be excused from specific classroom discussions or activities that they believe would impose a substantial burden on their religious beliefs.” If the requests grow to be “too frequent or too burdensome,” however, schools can refuse to accommodate them….