Maryland School Blocks High-Achieving Student’s Graduation Over Religious Objections to LGBT Content in Mandatory Health Class

A top-performing Maryland high school student is facing the unthinkable—being blocked from graduating—because her family refused to comply with a health course they say contradicts their religious beliefs. 

The legal battle now sits before the Maryland Supreme Court, raising alarm about religious freedom in public education.

Known as “Jane” in court documents and reports, the student attends Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and boasts a 4.76 weighted GPA and a 1450 SAT score.

She’s a leader in multiple extracurriculars and ranks among the top students in her class.

Her path to graduation hit a wall after she declined to take a mandatory health class her family believes is incompatible with their Christian faith.

The family has argued for more than two years that the class includes “LGBTQ+ affirming” instruction and content that discriminates against Christians. 

Despite proposing several alternatives—including an independent study or taking the course at a Catholic school—MCPS rejected every option, insisting that only current MCPS teachers or specific dual-enrollment programs fulfill the requirement, Fox News reports.

According to screenshots of teacher materials obtained by the family, instructors are encouraged to embed LGBT themes throughout the course—not just in the Family Life and Human Sexuality unit. 

Other documents reportedly include ideological guidance on “white supremacy culture,” descriptions of “privileged” versus “oppressed” religious groups and exercises that call Christianity a privileged identity.

The student’s parents say they first raised concerns in 2022, when they learned Jane would be automatically enrolled in the class during her sophomore year. 

When they withdrew her, they were met with resistance from school officials, who denied their requests to see the curriculum or opt out.

“We’re not trying to stop LGBTQ+ content altogether,” the family wrote in a March 2024 letter to the state Board of Education. 

“We’re asking MCPS to keep that content in the one section where state law permits it, so we can exercise our legal right to opt out.”

After the school board denied their request, the parents appealed to the Circuit Court of Montgomery County in August 2024. 

That court sided with MCPS, prompting the family to file an appeal in January and petition the Maryland Supreme Court for urgent review, citing the impending graduation deadline.

MCPS also rejected a proposed solution that would have allowed Jane to take the class through dual enrollment at a community college. 

The parents said this conflicted with her schedule and still lacked legal safeguards for religious protections, as the curriculum may contain the same controversial content.

Separately, the family filed a Maryland Public Information Act complaint against MCPS in March, accusing the district of “knowingly and willfully” withholding public documents related to the course.

The Montgomery County Board of Education declined to comment to Fox News, citing ongoing litigation. The Maryland State Board of Education did not respond to inquiries.

Jane’s case coincides with another high-profile religious liberty dispute involving MCPS. 

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard a case from parents of multiple faiths claiming the district violated their rights by denying opt-outs from LGBT-themed books.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority signaled support for parental rights during those arguments, potentially foreshadowing a legal precedent that could impact Jane’s case and others like it across the country.

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