CNN’s Jim Sciutto warned Friday that schools may begin pulling books from library shelves after a Supreme Court ruling gave parents the right to opt their children out of reading certain books based on religious beliefs. The comments came during a segment on Inside Politics, where Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) expressed concern about the broader implications of the decision.
Raskin compared the ruling to the 1943 West Virginia v. Barnette case, which allowed students to opt out of flag salutes on grounds of conscience. He argued that the new ruling expands that precedent, enabling parents to withdraw children from classroom content not just for religious reasons, but also for philosophical, moral, or political objections.
“There are going to be a lot more cases,” Raskin said, warning that families could object to lessons on evolution, war history, or other standard curriculum topics. “So again, they’re trying to flatter a particular political group, a MAGA group here, and I think it’s going to cause chaos going forward.”
Sciutto followed by suggesting schools may proactively remove books to avoid conflict. “You can imagine just the remarkable possibility of books just — schools, rather, just taking books off the shelves of their libraries,” he said.
The Supreme Court ruling has sparked intense debate over the boundaries of parental rights in public education. Supporters argue that the decision upholds First Amendment freedoms and protects children from being exposed to ideologies that violate family values. Critics warn it could dismantle public education by allowing ideological carve-outs for virtually any subject.
The Court has not yet clarified how far these opt-outs can extend, leaving future challenges inevitable as schools attempt to navigate the ruling’s long-term effects.
