Skills for Bridging the Divide Workshop with Braver Angels

Recently, the Supreme Court handed down a decision that will likely reverberate through American classrooms for years to come. In a 5-4 ruling, the justices granted parents broad authority to exempt their children from curricular materials and school activities that conflict with their religious convictions. Like so many recent decisions from this Court, the ruling is being hailed as a victory by some and met with grave concern by others. But beneath the headlines and the predictable cultural skirmishes, it’s worth pausing to ask a deeper question: What does this mean for the role of public education in a pluralistic society?

It’s tempting, as so many commentators already have, to frame this as another act in the ongoing battle over religious liberty. The plaintiffs—an alliance of evangelical, Catholic, and Muslim families—argued that specific lessons on sexuality, gender identity, and even evolution violated their sincerely held beliefs. They found a sympathetic ear in the Court’s conservative majority, which cited the Free Exercise Clause and the right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. “The State may not compel a child to participate in instruction that contradicts the religious tenets of their family,” wrote Chief Justice Roberts in the majority opinion. “To do so would be to place the state above the conscience.”