Defending Ideas6 Touko 2025

Parental rights on trial: what’s at stake in education

Should parents have a meaningful say in what their children learn — and how they learn it? On this episode of Defending Ideas, we examine two pivotal legal battles shaping the future of parental rights in education: one challenging a state-level school choice program, and another currently before the U.S. Supreme Court that could restrict a parent’s ability to opt their child out of curriculum that conflicts with their religious beliefs.

Host Nic Dunn is joined by Bill Duncan, Sutherland’s Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow, and Christine Cooke Fairbanks, Sutherland’s Education Policy Fellow.

They help answer a critical question raised by these cases: How should the public education system accommodate the diverse values of American families? This conversation explores both constitutional principles and common-sense reasoning for prioritizing parental engagement, and why doing so is essential for a pluralistic, self-governing society.
Show notes:

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

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