July 18, 2025
BOSTON, MA – The Pacific Justice Institute – Center for Public Policy (PJI-CPP) announces its support for House Bill 551, An Act Relative to Parental Rights in Education, in advance of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Education’s hearing on Monday, July 21, 2025. This critical legislation promotes transparency, consent, and accountability in public schools, ensuring parents – not the government – remain the primary decision-makers in their children’s education.
HB 551 requires schools to disclose curricula and instructional materials, obtain parental consent for sensitive topics such as gender and sexuality, and establish clear accountability mechanisms for addressing parental concerns. These provisions empower parents to guide their children’s moral and educational upbringing, aligning with the long-standing recognition of parental rights as a fundamental liberty interest under the Constitution, as recently affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Mahmoud v. Taylor.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor makes it clear that public schools cannot sideline parents on matters of moral and religious significance,” said Janice Lorrah, Legislative Counsel for PJI-CPP. “We urge the Joint Committee to advance this bill to send a clear message that Massachusetts values the fundamental rights of parents.”
In written testimony to the committee, Attorney Lorrah stated that in mandating disclosure of instructional materials, requiring consent for topics like gender and sexuality, and establishing accountability mechanisms, the bill ensures parents with students in public schools can protect their children from content that may conflict with their values and sincerely held religious beliefs.
“This is particularly vital in light of Mahmoud v. Taylor, which rejected the argument that exposure to differing views does not burden religious exercise, instead finding that mandatory instruction without opt-outs imposes substantial interference with parental rights,” Attorney Lorah continued in PJI-CPP’s testimony.
Details on the Joint Committee Hearing can be found below
from the desk of
Brad Dacus
