In Romans 12:21, God’s Word commands us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Following the recent adoption of the new K–12 health standards by the Michigan State Board of Education (SBOE) in a strictly partisan 6–2 vote, many parents, clergy, and school board members are asking what steps they can take to protect children in public schools across the state. The following guidance outlines several legally sound and practical options for parents, pastors, and local school board members. .

I. Guidance for Parents

1. Understand and exercise your legal rights.
   Michigan law provides robust protection for parents in directing the upbringing and education of their children (MCL 380.10). Whether a child is educated in a public, private, or home-school setting, parents retain this natural and fundamental right. Most recently, in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of public-school parents to be informed of what their children are being taught and to opt them out of instruction that conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs.
2. Encourage your local school district to opt out of teaching sex education.
   Parents may respectfully request that their school board refrain from offering sex education and ensure that sexual topics are not embedded in other subject areas.
3. Seek appointment to the Sex Education Advisory Board (SEAB) if your district offers sex education.
   Serving on the SEAB allows parents to participate directly in shaping sex-education curriculum and lesson plans and to represent their values and the values of other families in the community. Boards must be comprised by 50% parents, and Christian parents like you can play a vital role in these important conversations with a minimal investment of time.
4. Exercise your right to opt your child out of sex education.
   Michigan law explicitly protects a parent’s right to excuse their child from sex-education instruction (MCL 380.1507). Attorney David Kallman of the Great Lakes Justice Center has created this user-friendly sex-ed specific opt-out form, although a simple written request sent to the school is sufficient. Parents should retain a copy of any such communication for their records.
5. Review materials in other subject areas, especially health.
   In many cases, a comprehensive opt out is necessary to fully protect children from harmful indoctrination that has been interwoven across many academic subjects. Before a parent can opt out, they need to know what is being taught. To do this, request to review all of the curriculum, including supplementary literature, handouts, and other materials students are given. Attorney Matt Wilk of GetKidsBackToSchool.org has developed an easy-to-use template to assist parents in requesting this information from your local school that you can download and customize here. Based on your review, if instruction in any subject undermines the religious values you are seeking to instill, you may specify the objectionable content and submit a written request to opt your child out.

II. Guidance for Pastors and Clergy

1. Seek appointment to the Sex Education Advisory Board.
   MCL 380.1507 requires that clergy be included among SEAB membership. In many districts, however, representation is limited to a single pastor, often from a congregation that does not reflect traditional Biblical values. This practice does not align with the statute, which uses the plural term clergy and requires representation that reflects the community. Clergy grounded in Judeo-Christian convictions offer an important, balanced moral voice and should be represented. Pastors are encouraged to volunteer their service to help shape sex-education curricula consistent with community values.
2. Prepare to counsel families within your congregation.
   Pastors should ensure that parents are informed about what is being taught in local schools and be ready to offer guidance to families seeking to opt their children out of certain instruction or considering alternative educational options.

III. Guidance for Public School Board Members

The newly adopted health standards place local school districts in a difficult position. By embedding controversial sexual and values-based concepts within the health curriculum, the SBOE has created significant legal and administrative risk for districts, including potential conflicts with federally protected parental-rights and religious-liberty provisions, violations of state law, or the loss of accreditation (e.g., MCL 380.1278). Local school boards must exercise exceptional caution when modifying health curricula, sex-education offerings, or any material related to sexuality or gender identity.

1. Adopt clear and comprehensive policy governing sexual content and related instruction.

Such policy should ensure compliance with parental-notice, review, and opt-out requirements, even when sexual content appears in subjects outside of sex education. Boards may also choose to prohibit instruction on sex, sexuality, or gender outside of designated sex-education courses (MCL 380.10; MCL 380.1507; MCL 380.1169). District policy establishes expectations for administration and staff and should include mechanisms for accountability.

2. Distinguish the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act from sex-education requirements.

Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination across various protected classifications. It does not require schools to teach sociopolitical views about sexual orientation or gender identity. Schools comply with Elliott-Larsen when they refrain from discrimination; they are not required to teach students how to access or participate in the practices associated with any protected class. For example, schools respect other protected categories like ethnicity and religion without teaching children how to access or engage in religious services or ethnic experiences. Sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity should be treated in alignment with how the law treats other protected categories rather than being singled out for special treatment.

3. Recognize that sex education is optional in Michigan.

Districts are under no obligation to offer sex education; it is entirely voluntary under state law (MCL 380.1507). School boards may elect to focus instructional time on academic areas such as literacy and mathematics instead.

4. If your district chooses to teach sex education, exercise your authority responsibly.

a. Local Control
The Michigan Legislature—not the SBOE—has established the legal standards for sex-education instruction. School boards and SEABs are responsible for shaping and approving sex-education curriculum in accordance with statute. The SBOE has no authority to impose standards for sex education, and districts are not required to consider the sex-education–related portions (Section 3) of the newly adopted health standards. Boards should comply with state law rather than with nonbinding and unauthorized guidance.

b. Composition of the SEAB
Under MCL 380.1507(5), school boards determine SEAB membership, terms of service, and the selection process, which must reasonably reflect the district’s population. Boards should ensure that SEAB membership reflects community values and includes individuals capable of upholding statutory requirements. The school board also serves as a check on the SEAB and must ensure that curriculum recommendations comply with state law.

c. Cooperation with Parents
State law requires that parents receive notice, have an opportunity to review instructional materials, and retain the absolute right to opt their child out of any sex-education instruction (MCL 380.1507). Boards are encouraged to exceed these minimum requirements by providing transparent, proactive communication. Ideally, parents should receive notice and access to materials at least one month before instruction begins. Policy should be crafted to ensure consistent practice.