Lexington Lawsuit Pushes Mahmoud to the Extreme. There’s Still HOPE.

Mahmoud v. Taylor in Action

It’s happening again. A father in Lexington, Massachusetts is suing a school district for reading two picture books about families to his kindergarten-aged child. He cites Mahmoud v. Taylor the case on opt-outs that named Love, Violet and other LGBTQ+ picture books.

He first asked that his child be opted out of DEI lessons, but this was rejected for vagueness. (Was the teacher supposed to censor everything that wasn’t about white, cis-het, able, Christian males? That is how some censors in the military interpreted such requests.)

Second, he asked for advance notice and opt-outs for his child for any lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity. However, his complaint reveals that his actual intent is that his child never see a same-sex couple depicted at school in a book or lesson.

The books he objected to include Families, Families, Families (Lang, Lang), which presents myriad family types and concludes, “…if you love each other, then you are family.”

The picture book Families, Families, Families, by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang. Yellow striped background with various animal families lined up and leaning together.

The second book, All Are Welcome Here (Penfold, Kaufman), portrays children during a school day, from music class to lunch, and concluding with families visiting a school fair, during which families admire student projects.

The picture book All Are Welcome, by Alexandra Penfold, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman. Various children and a father walking over a yellow crosswalk happily. Children are of different sizes, skin colors and hair types, with one wearing a hijab and one child on a scooter, others holding books or instrument cases.

Like the petitioners in Mahmoud, this father claims that these picture books contain “sexualized and ideological” content that has ruined the innocence of his child. He claims he has been forced to talk about different kinds of families with his child before he wanted to.

For reference, here is one of the offending “sexualized” illustrations.

(c) Suzanne Kaufman, All Are Welcome, Knopf, 2018. With a backdrop of colorful city buildings, a smiling crossing guard guides families and children of many races, body types, and abilities over a crosswalk.

Wait. You don’t see the problem? Didn’t you notice the pregnant mom in blue, holding her child’s hand? The problem still isn’t clear? Maybe this will help…

(c) Suzanne Kaufman, All Are Welcome, Knopf, 2018. With a backdrop of flags from around the world, a variety of families enjoy a school fair with their children, with people of many ethnicities, religions, abilities, and family types visible.

Did you spot the mom in blue in the upper right corner of this crowded scene? If you look really closely, no – closer, there. See? She appears to have a female partner, though this is not clarified in the text, and the other woman could also be a sister or friend or aunt. (I personally hope it’s her partner because, when I was young, children’s books never included families like the kind I would one day have.) I’ve shared less than half of this spread, so a child in a class story time would have to really pay attention to these tiny figures to catch that “sexualized” content.

When people rail against “pornographic” picture books, when they harass and threaten educators and librarians, when they send book creators hate mail or threats, this is what they are calling sexually explicit content.

You don’t see any sex?

(Long sigh.)

They don’t see fellow humans.

Unethical Burdens on Educators

(c) Charlene Chua, Love, Violet, FSG 2022. Image of a classroom with kid art and diverse children giving out valentines and holding baskets. A teacher, with short brown hair, a tie, white shirt and gray pants, has arms out spread, happily directing the students.

What could this Lexington case mean for the future application of Mahmoud? I hope – nothing. Because the “ask” is so extreme and overtly discriminatory. But…if it gains traction…

This Lexington suit could suggest there are few limits on individual parental rights, even when they may infringe on the rights of their own children or other children, other families, or educators.

This Lexington father expected teachers to comb through in advance every picture book, lesson, and video…including crowd scenes…and notify him of any portrayals that might be LGBTQ+ people.

As a former educator, my head spins. When would one have time to teach or plan with such an unreasonable task?

Worse, it is morally offensive. This lawsuit asks educators to help parents lie to children and erase an entire people group. For those who “disapprove” of LGBTQ+ people’s existence, who don’t believe LGBTQ+ people are were born this way, it is not a choice – maybe then, such censorship seems “reasonable.”

But even then, this principle endangers religion. It would open the door for any parent to justify erasing anyone – or suing schools when they fail to participate in crafting a uniquely segregated curriculum for any given child. If this case succeeds, Christian parents could demand opt-outs from images of hijabs or yarmulkes; white parents could demand no Black or Brown representation. This is an assault on what school is for – and what our Declaration of Independence is supposed to stand for.

This isn’t mere speculation. Although Mahmoud only addressed LGBTQ+ picture books, the first report on opt-out requests in Montgomery County, Maryland (where Mahmoud originated), shows that parents also censored books about Indigenous and Black experiences, and social justice. Mahmoud is immediately being used to hide historically marginalized people of every kind.

An unchecked application of Mahmoud goes far beyond the free exercise of religion. It insists on state-sponsored bigotry.

How can we raise well-educated children able to get along in the classroom and the world, if parents won’t let children learn about anyone unlike themselves? Including their own classmates? What does this do to children witnessing opt-outs? What about children’s constitutional rights to free speech and equal protection? What about LGBTQ+ children, whose parents censor LGBTQ+ content? Neither censorship nor access to information can change anyone’s identity, only how prepared children are to interact with respect.

So many of today’s parents and grandparents grew up in censored communities. So many of us know (from both sides) the harm censorship and prejudice inflicts, the quiet bias it embeds in hearts and minds – whether the harmful ideas are about others or oneself.

Mahmoud hurts children.

By definition, Mahmoud is an anti-education decision.

In the months to come, we will learn just how far people will use it to justify harm toward children, truth, and public schools. And how far each of us will go to defend the rights and needs of children in public schools, as well as their librarians and educators.

What Can We Do?

Never Give Up

Top banner with the covers of the picture books named in Mahmoud v. Taylor. Footer fades pink to yellow with black text: “Love can still win! [heart] Charlotte xoxo” A soft heart frames the word “love.” Center image: (c) Julie McLaughlin 2025, used with permission. The Supreme Court building at twilight, with light inside the building, rainbow and stars above it, with colorful characters from all the Mahmoud books on the steps. A joyful scene.

The foundational principles of this nation and of education are under direct attack, through Mahmoud and so many new rules, laws, and court decisions. But the Constitution is on our side. Justice and morality are on our side. Our country is at an inflection point when we could succumb to fascism – or enough people can resist to protect each other and liberty. Many people reject domination and oppression of over half of our society.

To educators and librarians, thank you for your hard, endless work. Thank you for the courage and love you show every time you show up for all your students and patrons, and for your core values. You are our heroes and you have masses, masses of people behind you, ready to advocate for your safety and rights.

Community members, educators and librarians need our vocal (and written) support now more than ever.

(Here’s an example from TN of why public support is so important, from author and friend Christina Soontornvat.)

One of the best things we can do is to write positive notes to librarians, teachers, school boards, and local papers about what their work and inclusive education and books mean to your family. We can show up. Book banners are loud. Defenders of liberty and children can be, too. Written support provides essential counter evidence when one person or a tiny handful of people try to hijack a curriculum or erase and oppress a marginalized group of people, or intimidate and threaten librarians and educators. Every one of our voices matters.

We can support and follow the organizations advocating for reading freedom (Authors Against Book Bans, PEN America, EveryLibrary, Unite Against Book Bans).

We can pay attention to local and state politics; vote and contact decision makers. We can advocate for free and safe schools and libraries even if we don’t have children. Most important, no matter what atrocities horrify us, we can do what loving, freedom-minded adults have always done: support the  children in our lives by teaching and modeling respect, equality, and love. The world will never be fair or perfect. But we can young people find the just-right books and information, we can equip them to see through lies and prejudice, we can prepare them to help create the world of our dreams.

Victory Despite Defeats

(c) Mary Lundquist, The Amazing Idea of You, 2019. Two curved vines emanate from an apple seed to frame an apple tree, full of fruit, some in the grass.

This moment requires a long view. We live in a moment of cognitive dissonance. Yes, checks and balances are cracking. The freedoms promised the founding documents of the US are being trampled. Democracy is crumbling and already giving way to fascism. And yet…

We who love liberty and equality have power. Voices. And, strangely, we also live in a state of victory, of progress. For all these losses, we are not lost.

What do I mean? That father in the Lexington case seeks to obliterate my family and my book. I grew up in a world like that, where people like me were hidden or ridiculed and punished. He wants to lie to his child and pretend that LGBTQ+ people are never born, don’t have families or love, or thrive.

But no petty lawsuit can force me back into the closet. It’s impossible! My marriage is not only real, it has been legally recognized since 2014. And if that protection vanishes, my marriage won’t. There are photos! Financial records. So many witnesses: family, friends, former students and readers and every stranger we pass. Like so many LGBTQ+ people, I live in honesty, out loud, in a way I could not have dreamed of in the 1980s. I couldn’t have pictured it because I had no picture books like Love, Violet, no commercials or movies with people like me. That day is done.

(c) Charlene Chua, Stonewall Book Award Acceptance Speech, 2023. With blue background fading to white, a line of diverse children hold hands, with different skin and hair colors and types (including blue hair), gender expressions, abilities and body shapes (including a little person and one in a wheelchair), and hobbies (including a soccer player, ballet dancer, punk rocker) and religions (child in a hijab). Above their heads are flags for many LGBTQIAP+ identities.

Even if this lawsuit succeeds – does it? The harm will be profound. Absolutely. It is already hurting children, educators, librarians, and book creators. But that father will never get what he really wants: to erase real people. But we are everywhere and we are visible. While our soicety is not yet equal or safe, we are living the victory of visibility. He can’t take that away.

I need to remember this.

And that improvements in visibility, understanding, and acceptance have grown dramatically for people of color, women, those of and minority religions and ethnicities, and with disabilities, too. This violent backlash is a reaction to our present victories. And while some progress is being dismanted, I believe it can never fully be undone – if we contine creating this better world together. Little by little. Child by child, action by action, relationship by relationship.

I need to remember this.

The horror is real – and requires our action. (My soul rips, wails at so much harm.) And – the progress is real. May it bring us healing and hope for the work before us.

We can do this. We can make real – or keep striving toward – that foundational idea that every one of us is born equal and worthy of life, liberty, and the pursuit of joy.

Hold fast, friends. For children, for democracy, for everyone: Hold fast.

CSW

Baby born the same weeked as Love, Violet looks at the final spread where Mira and Violet are running through the snow together, holding hands.