SEATTLE — A Seattle Public Schools (SPS) policy about teaching students an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum is gaining attention from local families and making national headlines Friday.
The policy in Washington’s largest school district has been thrust into the spotlight as parents have learned they cannot opt their children out of certain lessons, and the Seattle school district says it’s simply following state law.
The SPS website states the inclusive instruction can happen with no prior notice to Seattle families at any grade. The families that KOMO News spoke with on Friday largely support the policy even though the Supreme Court just ruled a group of parents in another state could opt out of similar teachings.
“I believe that Seattle Public Schools is trying to protect the freedom for all students to learn, and I’m in agreement of that,” parent Debbie Carlsen stated, adding she remembers the policy from last year and wants these lessons for her now-3rd grade student.
“I want my child to have a well-rounded, pluralistic education,” she explained. “I believe that knowledge is power and that when students are able to understand each other, be in each other’s shoes and experiences, that it’s also an opportunity to lessen bullying, and I am a strong believer that schools need to be safe.”
The SPS website states students cannot opt out of the following LGBTQ+-inclusive instruction:
- Books with LGBTQ+ characters
- Discussing bullying prevention
- Sharing pronouns
- Answering student questions
- Displaying posters or flags supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
- Acknowledging pride month or teaching LGBTQ+ history.
- Using terms like “transgender” or “gender identity”
The lessons that parents can opt their children out of include lessons about sexual health:
- WA state law requires sexual health education.
- In Seattle Public Schools this instruction starts in grade 4.
- These lessons are age-appropriate and on topics like:
- 4th-5th Puberty and HIV/AIDS
- 6th-8th Healthy relationships, reproduction, contraception, and disease prevention
- 9th -12th Dating and relationships, pregnancy and disease prevention, online safety
- 30-day notice is required, and lessons are viewable by families.
It was in June, the Supreme Court reviewed a similar policy for a school district in Maryland. The ruling for Mahmoud v. Taylor states that a group of parents could opt their kids out of these lessons for religious reasons. Those lessons specifically involved books with LGBTQ+ characters.
“The Supreme Court addressed whether or not these parents had a First Amendment right to opt their children out of this part of the curriculum,” explained Shiwali Patel with the National Women’s Law Center, a group outspoken against the summer ruling and claiming it could have devastating impacts in the classroom.
“Religion and support for LGBTQ+ families can co-exist,” Patel added.
That leaves the question of where the Seattle district draws the line when it comes to parents’ rights for “opt out” rules.
The Washington state Parental Rights Initiative is a parents’ bill of rights, allowing them to review instructional materials, be notified and opt out of certain activities.
SPS in an emailed statement adds that outside sexual health education, “… state law does not provide for selective opt-outs from curriculum, and SPS continues to follow this direction.”
The state superintendent’s office would not comment on the SPS policy. A spokesperson in a statement writes, in part, the OSPI believes “students receive the most well-rounded education when they see themselves and their peers reflected in their curriculum.”
State law also lets parents and guardians review textbooks and other classroom materials, and appeal decisions about instructional materials to the district’s instructional materials committee.