Judge rejects challenge to Indiana’s parental rights in education law

By Matt Lamb

INDIANAPOLIS (LifeSiteNews) — Indiana’s law that places limits on public school instruction on sexuality and LGBT topics can be implemented this year, according to a federal judge.

District Judge James Hanlon, of the Southern District of Indiana, rejected an ACLU-backed challenge to House Bill 1608. The bill says a school and its vendors “may not provide any instruction to a student in prekindergarten through grade 3 on human sexuality” but employees and vendors can answer questions about those topics.

It also prohibits school employees from hiding “gender transitions” from parents. The law is similar to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law.

Judge Hanlon rejected a lawsuit from Kayla Smiley, a public school teacher, who wants to promote the LGBT agenda in the classroom, including displaying pro-LGBT messages on her water bottle. Smiley’s classroom library “includ[es] [books on] LGBTQ issues, such as biographies of Harvey Milk, and Elton John.”