How Much Say Should Parents Have Over What Their Kids Learn In Public Schools?

The Supreme Court made a landmark ruling in 1925 on parents’ rights in education. Today, another case — sparked by objections from Texas parents over school materials with LGBTQ+ characters — is raising big new questions.

A century ago, the Supreme Court handed down one of its most important cases about education . On June 1, 1925, the court struck down an Oregon statute requiring all students to attend public school – a law critics argued was meant to limit faith-based schools , at a time when anti-Catholic bias was still common in parts of the United States.

The majority opinion in Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary included a now-famous dictum about parents’ rights to shape their children’s upbringing. According to the court, “the child is not the me