In its June, 2025 Mahmoud v. Taylor decision, The Supreme Court affirmed a family's right to opt out of certain instructional materials. The court also affirmed that requests to opt out of instructional content due to sincerely held religious beliefs require a thoughtful, individualized review. This form is intended to help school staff better understand your request so that any opt-out can be appropriately aligned with your family’s religious beliefs, while minimizing disruption to your child’s learning experience.
Please note that opt-out requests must clearly specify the curricular material that your child’s teacher has indicated will be presented. "General" opt-out requests do not fall under the Mahmoud vs. Taylor decision. If you have questions about the materials in your child's classes, please contact your child's teacher(s) or principal.
The Court stated in its decision in that determining whether school curriculum unconstitutionally burden a parent’s religious beliefs will always be a “fact-intensive analysis”. The Court identified certain factors that may guide schools in deciding whether to provide families notice and opt out of exposure to certain instruction or curriculum on the basis of the impact that exposure to such material may have on students. These factors include:
The nature of the specific religious beliefs and practices asserted (likely referring to the requirement that there be a good faith nexus between the religious belief/practice and the threat presented by the educational material);
The age of the child (i.e., elementary as compared to high school age); and
The context of the exposure (neutral information as compared to a presentation that is “hostile” to religious beliefs or exerts, either explicitly or otherwise, “pressure to conform”). Additional guidance is provided by the California Department of Education on its website at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/lr/mt/
When submitted, this form will be received by Instructional Services administration and the information will be forwarded to your child's principal for follow up and dissemination to the appropriate school staff.
If you would prefer to discuss your request in person, please contact your child’s teacher or principal.Students will not be subject to disciplinary action, academic penalty, or any other sanction as a result of this opt-out. For students whose parents or guardians request an opt-out, schools will provide alternative educational activities as appropriate.
