ADF to 8th Circuit: Protect parents’ right to raise children without govt interference

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch regarding a friend-of-the-court brief ADF attorneys filed Thursday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in Parents Defending Education v. Linn-Mar Community School District on behalf of Parental Rights Iowa and The Justice Foundation supporting parents’ right to make decisions about how their children are raised:

“Parents—not government officials—have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, care, and education of their children. Yet Linn-Mar Community School District has joined a troubling trend of school districts enacting gender-identity policies that exclude parents from any knowledge or involvement in key decisions regarding their children’s care and education. As we explain in our brief, Linn-Mar’s policy assumes public schools are better guardians of children than their own parents—replacing moms and dads with teachers and school administrators. When government officials violate parents’ rights, it’s vulnerable children who suffer. We urge the 8th Circuit to affirm the legal and constitutional protections parents have to make the best decisions for their own kids.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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