Liberty Counsel launches legal fight for parents, says Seattle Public Schools defying Supreme Court

Young Seattle students are being exposed to classroom content that many parents find deeply concerning and objectionable. Yet, those parents have little recourse. That’s why Moms for Liberty of King County is partnering with Liberty Counsel to ensure these families have a voice. They want to push back, but they need parents willing to bring suit on behalf of those affected.

Mariah Gondeiro, litigation counsel for Liberty Counsel, says Seattle Public Schools’ refusal to allow opt-outs directly contradicts Supreme Court rulings that uphold parental rights over educational content.

“This mandate by the Seattle Public Schools is a direct violation of the United States Supreme Court. The United States Supreme Court has held that parents who have religious convictions that conflict with the LGBTQ related themes in books in the classroom, they should not be forced to have their child read those books, and they should be allowed to opt out, but Seattle has specifically mandated that LGBTQ inclusive related instruction is does not allow parents to opt out,” Gondeiro told The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red 770 AM.

Liberty counsel’s call for action on parental rights in King County

Gondeiro said Liberty Counsel stepped in after seeing this unfold, aiming to connect with concerned parents.

“We want to be able to reach out to parents in the area who are concerned, parents working, parents who have no other option but to send their child to public school because they have to work. We’re looking for parents who have concerns that with with this curriculum, do not want their children reading about LGBTQ related materials. They want to be able to have those discussions with their child outside of the classroom, because it shouldn’t be in the classroom. It doesn’t belong there,” Gondeiro said.

She emphasized that conversations and books about gender identity should be left to families—not schools—and that teachers should focus on academic preparation.

“Many of these books quite frankly have no place in school. They encourage young students to explore their their gender identity. Those are discussions that should be left at home with the parents, they should be getting back to teaching children what’s important, like math and writing the topics that are going to prepare them for college and beyond,” Gondeiro said.

Legal protection and upholding supreme court authority

She also noted that when Liberty Counsel is involved in litigation, retaliation by school districts is rare.

“I can say that when we’ve gotten involved in lawsuits, it’s very rare that a district would try to retaliate against a parent or a child when we’re actually involved in a lawsuit. Usually that happens when we’re not involved, when they’re trying to take things into their own hands and advocate for their child, and then they’re retaliated against,” Gondeiro said.

Gondeiro is now calling on cities like Seattle to follow the law and honor parental rights.

“It’s time for cities like Seattle to realize that they are not above the law. They need to follow the Supreme Court. They need to respect parents’ rights. And it’s really not a matter of whether LGBTQ is okay all day long. But this is all ultimately about religious rights and parental rights. These parents have a right to be able to control the upbringing of their child, and that goes along with things related to their transgender status or gender identity, that is not the role of the government. That is the role of parents,” Gondeiro said.

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