A federal judge has ruled in favor of a Massachusetts dad seeking to opt his five-year-old son out of story books depicting LGBTQ relationships, which conflict with his Christian beliefs.
Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, of the United States Court for the District of Massachusetts, granted a preliminary injunction to the father, who is identified in court documents as “Alan L.”, in his fight against Lexington Public Schools to protect his kindergarten-aged child, Liberty Counsel reported.
According to the faith-based non-profit legal group, the father originally requested that school officials exempt his son from lessons and programs that cover issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The district denied his request, stating the opt-out was “overly broad.” Additionally, they refused to provide him with advance notice of any LGBTQ content that would be presented to the class.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters to ensure you receive the latest updates from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
“Despite his specific opt-out request, the district then exposed his child to the ‘read aloud’ video book Families, Families, Families! by Suzanne Lang depicting anthropomorphized animals with same-sex parents,” a press statement from Liberty Counsel explains.
The dad filed a lawsuit against the school with the help of the Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center and the American Center for Law and Justice against the school district, citing that his First Amendment rights were violated.
“In court, the father presented 10 books from the elementary school’s kindergarten curriculum, including All Are Welcome featuring LGBTQ+ families, Prince & Knight and Maiden & Princess telling same-sex romantic stories, and This Day in June depicting leather outfits and same-sex couples kissing,” reads a press release by Liberty Counsel.
Saylor, who was appointed to the bench during President George W. Bush’s administration, sided with the father and granted the preliminary injunction, writing in an opinion that the dad was “likely to succeed on the merits of his First Amendment claim,” noting the books depict content that many parents might find “provocative and inappropriate for young children.”
The judge’s decision was based heavily on the merits of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2025 Mahmoud v. Taylor decision that found forcing children to undergo LGBTQ-themed instruction without giving parents a choice to opt out violates the First Amendment.
MORE: Supreme Court Rules for Parental Rights in Landmark Maryland LGBTQ Book Case
“Parents must be permitted to opt their children out from lessons that ‘would substantially interfere with the religious development of the child or pose a very real threat of undermining the religious beliefs and practices the parent wishes to instill in the child,'” Saylor wrote in his opinion.
“Under well-established constitutional principles, defendants cannot force plaintiff to choose between foregoing the valuable benefit of having his child attend public kindergarten and exposing his child to materials that would burden his free exercise of religion,” he added.
Saylor’s ruling will stay in place as litigation continues. He said the father is “likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of a preliminary injunction.”
Liberty founder and Chairman Mat Staver responded to the decision, writing in a statement, “This ruling reinforces that parents have the right to direct the religious upbringing of their children.”
“Forcing children to be exposed to offensive instruction that is antithetical and hostile to their parents’ religious beliefs is unconstitutional,” he continued. “Parents have the First Amendment right to direct the education and provide for the welfare of their children free from government coercion that conflicts with their faith.”
