Tina (00:00):
... 'cause we do not co-parent with the government. I'm honored to be here at the steps of the Supreme Court today to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Pierce versus Society of Sisters, but we're also here to sound the alarm. We call on all parents to be steadfast in guarding your fundamental right, your God-given right to raise your children. Parental rights are fundamental. The government did not give you those rights and the government cannot take those rights away. The mission at Moms for Liberty has been the same since we launched four and a half years ago, to save America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.
(00:47)
The US Supreme Court spoke boldly and loud and clear 100 years ago. They said that children are not mere creatures of the state. And this case is not just history. Today in 2025, parental rights are under attack like never before. Schools around the country are signing contracts with students that close out parents without parental consent or knowledge, that allow students to make decisions that will impact their safety. State legislatures are passing bills that keep students... Excuse me.
(01:40)
Governors are signing bills to create entire states that become sanctuaries for children that run away from their families. They allow these children to have surgeries on their body that are irreversible. State legislatures are passing bills that allow twelve-year-old children to make medical decisions, without parental consent. This is not a left versus right thing. This is a good versus evil thing. The movement that fought against parental rights 100 years ago is the same people today that are active and alive fighting in our country today against parents and their right to raise children. They're radical leftists hiding in teachers' unions. They're radical leftists that are in the shadows of government bureaucracies and they are working to undermine families and parental rights. Signs like I am your mom now, adorn classrooms all across the country and today we must fight to defend parental rights in every policy debate from school curriculum to medical decisions, Parents must have the ultimate say.
(02:51)
I have three calls of action for you today. One, join President Trump and thousands of others in signing our parents' pledge. Two, get our parents' rights proclamation and bring it to your school board. Have them adopt it. This June, school board should be standing with families, not dividing families. And three, get your state legislator to pass a parents' bill of rights. Only 18 states out of our 50 states right now have a parents' bill of rights.
(03:20)
In closing, we want to sound the alarm. Once our government gets the hold in our families and starts making decisions that parents have the fundamental right to make, your family is destroyed. And once your family is destroyed, our communities are destroyed. And if enough of our communities are destroyed, our country is at risk. And last I want to thank President Trump. He is the parental rights president. He has kept his campaign promises. As soon as he got into office, he kept his campaign promises to protect parental rights, to stand with parents, to stand with families, and to protect children. We are grateful for him. He is a hero of the parental rights movement and he has surrounded himself with a team that will stand for parental rights. And we are going to hear from her next. We have secretary of education, Linda McMahon. Madam Secretary.
Linda McMahon (04:31):
Good afternoon. Thank you, Tina. It's an honor for me to be part of this event today. First and foremost, as a mother and a grandmother and secondarily as the secretary of education. This is a day for honoring parents. In fact, it's a month for honoring parents. Parents deserve a month, don't you think? Actually though, I think parents deserve to be honored every single day. 100 years ago the Supreme Court of the United States vindicated and enshrined the rights of parents and education through the Pierce versus Society of Sisters case. That's what we're celebrating today. One of the most impactful education-related cases in American history decided in 1925, this decision set the precedent that parents, not the state, have the right and the duty to choose how to educate their children. Today we're here with Moms for Liberty and many other wonderful organizations who champion the fundamental bond that makes society work and that makes society good.
(05:35)
The bond between parents and their students, their children, so much depends on it. Today, a century after the Supreme Court enshrined the future of education freedom, there are still attacks on that freedom. Just as the state of Oregon tried to force every child into a one-size-fits-all public school system in 1925, many states now seek to ensure that educational alternatives are kept out of the hands of many families. Special interests and progressive activists still try to agitate for the government to override moms and dads in education, whether it's through ideological indoctrination, sexually explicit curriculum or hiding health and safety risk from parents. The progressive left always wants to come between you and your kids. As secretary of education and especially as a mom, I'm here to say no. That's right. We're here to say no to that. This administration promises to be the parental rights administration.
(06:46)
You can already see this promise being kept through our priorities. School choice. Giving parents the power to select education options that align with their values and their children's needs. FERPA rights. Ensuring schools can't keep parents in the dark about their child's educational information and well-being. Local control. Ensuring that education is in the hands of those closest to the child. To oppose these priorities is to oppose what is best for our children because parents are the ones who help children thrive, not the government. It's parents. So today as we celebrate this centennial anniversary, let's redouble our efforts in fighting to preserve the bond between parents and children, to preserve an education system that's parent-driven, that's flexible, that cares about our kids. The future of American education must be marked, please pay attention to this, must be marked not by government control, but by family nurture. Thank you all very much and I'd like to welcome senator from Florida, Ashley Moody, to the podium now.
Ashley Moody (08:04):
[inaudible 00:08:05].
Linda McMahon (08:05):
Good luck with that.
Ashley Moody (08:12):
Well, hello. It's great to see everyone that is here today to celebrate some historic landmark cases in our nation's history, especially as it relates to the education and well-being of our children. It is so important that we as citizens remain engaged in policymaking even with those who don't agree with us on all of the issues, so that we may continue to develop meaningful access and education for all students regardless of economic background or circumstances. I want to thank secretary of education, Linda McMahon for being here today and helping us celebrate this important landmark decision and Moms for Liberty, Alliance Defending Freedom and Defending Education who are helping us celebrate today. Over 100 ago, the Supreme Court's decision in Pierce versus Society of Sisters set a vital precedent in American education and its ruling protected parents' rights to choose how and where their children would be educated, affirming that parents made that decision, not the state. And that continues to be a topic and an ideal in which we hold true as policymakers and parents and Americans.
(09:37)
It is so important that we keep having these discussions and abiding by these prior precedents because as you see even today, education, raising responsible children with moral standards has never been more important. Today we see education evolving rapidly. The needs of students are diverse and complex and the traditional one-size-fits-all model in public schooling, many times will fall short, and families need real choices, and whether that means access to private schools, tutoring, special needs services, or innovative educational technology. Right now I'm a co-sponsor of a bill called Educational Choice for Children Act. It is a legislation that would implement a federal tax credit scholarship program that empowers parents by helping as many as 2 million students across the country access schools and services that best fit their unique needs.
(10:41)
We don't want children to be locked into an education just because they live in a certain zip code. Parents need to be able to seek out and find education based on their needs and their circumstances. The ECCA is funded by private donations. It does not use federal spending, and this is being addressed right now in the big beautiful bill and we're hoping that the Senate continues to support this. I'm urging all of my colleagues to do so. It should not be an either-or debate between public schools or alternatives. It must be about expanding opportunity for all children. So I am excited here today to celebrate this historic milestone to stand with some really strong ladies. I promise, we invited some men, but we have some really strong moms up here who continue to want to be a part of this discussion because moving forward, as you can see, the future of not just our children, but indeed the strength of this country is going to depend on the education and the access we provide to them.
(11:55)
Today is a great example of how we should all move together in a productive way, talking about these issues, how we can do better and serve our children, expand their access, deliver better education, and that's why me and all these moms up here will keep showing up, having these difficult conversations to make sure education is truly available to all children. Thank you so much. I'm now going to call up none other than Representative Mary Miller.
Mary Miller (12:31):
Thank you. Good afternoon. Beautiful day to celebrate the opportunity to join with you all to celebrate 100 years of parental rights and school choice. In 1922, the state of Oregon deliberately eliminated the option of school choice and forced parents to send their children to only public schools. Thankfully, in a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court soundly this blatant violation of parental rights. I'm a mom of seven and grandmother of 23. Because of this ruling, I was able to home educate all seven of my children, and now my grandchildren are being home educated, but the fight is not over. Democrats from New York to California are coming after private, religious and homeschooling education. These are the same people who do nothing but act as puppets for the corrupt teachers union.
(13:47)
Our children are not wards of the state and the Supreme Court affirmed this 100 years ago. Parents know best how to educate their children and we must continue to defend the right to do so. Thank you for the work that each of you do and may God continue to bless your efforts. And may I say that evil never retreats on its own, only when it's confronted by a more powerful force. Together we are a force against evil. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (14:28):
The child is not a mere creature of the state. With those words that were written a century ago, the United States Supreme Court stopped government overreach. It affirmed parental rights and it rebuked the notion the government knows better than parents how to educate and raise their sons and daughters. Today, we commemorate the Pierce ruling which affirmed educational freedom in this country. We also recommit to building a legacy so that one day all parents can have the opportunity to have their children educated in a high-quality environment that meets the child's needs and aligns with their family's values because we know that parents love their children most and they know their children best. I'm here on behalf of Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF is the largest legal organization that advances our God-given rights, including the right to direct the upbringing and education of our children. And we are privileged to become and be a part of this powerfully growing movement to defend parental rights, which has made tremendous strides over the last 100 years.
(15:39)
Of the institutions that God created, the family, the church and the government, we must remember that it is the family that came first. When our laws and our culture recognize this truth, individuals, communities, and this nation flourish. But today, unlike perhaps any other time in our history, parental rights are facing relentless attack, particularly in our public education system. All the while we see religious education is thriving, classical education is expanding, homeschooling is the practice of millions of families. Parents need more options, not fewer. That is why at ADF we recently sued the Oklahoma Attorney General all the way to the Supreme Court because he refused to allow the existence of religious charter schools in the program. And while the court unfortunately recently tied four to four in a deadlock, such rank discrimination is described by Justice Kavanaugh at the oral argument will face future legal challenge. And we must realize that the worsening threats to parental rights, make the issue of school choice all the more urgent.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Consider for a minute, ADF client, Dan and Jennifer Mead. Their school district in Michigan treated their daughter as a boy without their knowledge or their consent. The school staff referred to her by male names, male pronouns, all the while using her real name with their parents in an intent to deceive them. They only discovered this deception when the school failed to switch back their daughter's name on a report that was sent home. As good parents, they withdrew their child from the school. As good citizens, they sued that school and while Dan was able to quit his job in order to homeschool their daughter to help bring healing, not every family has the means to do this. Parents need options.
(17:39)
And it wasn't an isolated case. I could cite to you dozens of stories of people like Jennifer Bitsakis, another ADF client. She trusted a school counselor and teachers, who told her that they would help her twelve-year-old daughter overcome anxiety and depression, but she too was deceived by the school. Not only did they treat her daughter as a boy, they directed medical providers to help assist her in a gender transition. Thankfully Jennifer too was able to afford an alternative, withdrew her daughter and enrolled her in a Catholic school. But again, not every parent has this option. Parents needs options. When a child is indoctrinated in class under anti-American ideology, when they're forced to endure extreme sex ed curriculum, when they're forced to share a locker room with the opposite sex or denied help to overcome gender confusion, parental rights are violated and that fundamentally hurts our children and our nation. This is why at ADF, parental rights are of the highest priority.
(18:42)
It's why we must expand educational options. It's why we sue school districts and lots of them right now. It's why we're calling on Congress to pass the Families' Rights and Responsibilities Act. And it's why we work with state lawmakers to pass laws that protect the rights of parents to shape their children's hearts and their future, not just when they're at home, but when they enter those schoolhouse gates. We will not rest. Those up here will not rest. Those in this movement will not rest until the court reaffirms that parental rights are fundamental rights of the highest order in our constitutional system. And mark my words, we will win this battle for our children and for the sake of future generations. God bless you. And may God bless the Society of Sisters 100 years ago today.
Sarah Parshall Perry (19:43):
Hi, everyone. Sarah Parshall Perry. I'm vice president and legal counsel for Defending Education, formerly Parents Defending Education. The parents are still there, but we're in higher education now. So UC Berkeley, you better watch out. Today is a good day. Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of a cornerstone of American liberty, the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children. This right, affirmed by the Supreme Court in Pierce versus Society of Sisters, stands as a testament to the essential role that the family plays in shaping the future of society and Western civilization. Pierce should be celebrated by everyone committed to liberty and individual government. In 1922, Oregon voters passed the Compulsory Education Act. Fun fact, it was backed by the Ku Klux Klan. It aimed to eliminate private and religious schools and assimilate religious parents into public education, stripping them of their rights to be able to choose the best educational opportunity for those children.
(20:56)
But thanks to the courage of its challengers, the Supreme Court unanimously struck it down saying that, "Yes, the act did violate the liberty of parents to direct their children's upbringing," and in so doing it reminded the state that it should never believe it owns the nation's children. American children belong to their parents, and parents alone are the best suited, not government officials, to make decisions regarding those children's education, moral development, overall well-being and upbringing. Pierce wasn't just a legal ruling. It was a reaffirmation of individual liberty, rights that are parental, pre-political, natural, and existent since the dawn of civilization. Pierce echoes throughout history to this day, 100 years later. It and its progeny stand to secure the primacy of parental rights to raise our children according to our convictions. "Parenting," as Justice McReynolds reminded the nation in the related case, Meyer versus Nebraska in 1923, "is among the privileges long recognized at common law as essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men."
(22:18)
But today, parental rights are under unprecedented attacks. In a few weeks, the court behind us will determine a case Mahmood versus Taylor, in which it will be answering the question of whether or not Montgomery County Public Schools failure to allow opt-outs for religious parents, for LGBTQ-themed curriculum for four and five-year-olds was a violation of those parental rights. More than 1200 school districts across the country hide gender identity information of minor children from their parents, many openly lying about those children's gender identity. That puts 12 million American school kids in the crosshairs between the school and the parents. The parents, we know, who know best. Washington State permits minors, 13 and older, to receive so-called gender-affirming care without parental input, processes that often start in Washington state community schools at their health clinics. 29 states and the District of Virginia permit sexual orientation and gender identity determinations when making foster care placements for needy children.
(23:33)
Families pre-exist the state. They are not political entities. They are not in partnership with the federal government or the state government. Schools of any kind exist to support parents in their educational responsibilities, but they remain subordinate to parents. No, Joe Biden. No, Randi Weingarten. No, Becky Pringle. No, Hillary Clinton. They don't belong to all of us. I have the stretch marks to prove it. Let us carry forth today the legacy of Pierce. Let us stand firm in protecting parental rights. Let us always remember that a child's greatest educators, its greatest advocates, are the loving parents who guide them with wisdom, care and unwavering dedication. Thank you.
Kat Cammack (24:36):
All right, well good afternoon, everybody. I'm Congresswoman Kat Cammack, proudly representing Florida's third congressional district, but also here representing the sunshine and free state of Florida. Yeah, yeah. I want to thank Moms for Liberty and all our amazing parents, but also colleagues that I have the distinct honor to serve with for being here. Your advocacy is incredible and we simply couldn't do it without you. I'd also like to thank our lone protester for highlighting the mental health crisis in our country. Bless your heart, as we would say in the south. It was just 100 years ago that the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Pierce versus Society of Sisters that delivered a clear and powerful message. Children are not mere creatures of the state. In doing so, the court affirmed that a parent's role in guiding their child's education is not only essential, but also constitutionally protected.
(25:56)
Parents are not obstacles to children's education. They are the foundation of it. Silencing a parent's voice is not only wrong as we're seeing here today, but it is harmful to our children. No one knows a child better than their parents, not a school, not a government agency, and certainly not a bureaucrat. Now, as an expectant mother, I'm about a little over seven months along, and only the 14th woman in history to give birth while serving, I feel this truth more deeply than ever. Protecting our kids does not start when they take their first breath. It starts in the womb. The love, the responsibility and the duty that come with raising a child are profound and it is not something that can or should be outsourced. As Tina and all of the amazing Moms for Liberty have stated, we do not and will not co-parent with the government.
(27:08)
This is why we all proudly supported the Parents' Bill of Rights Act and other pro-parent legislation that is common sense, restores transparency and accountability in our schools, legislation that is built on the five key pillars that safeguard parents rights to know what is being taught in schools, what the reading material is, to be heard, and to see school budgets and spending and to protect their children's privacy, also being updated on any activity at the school. This is common sense. This is what we support. So again, it is truly an honor to be here to support our incredible parents and the defense of a parent's fundamental right to love, protect, and lead their child through life. Secretary McMahon, thank you for your leadership and being absolutely a courageous woman of faith and determination. Together we will all shape a better future for generations to come. And to bring it home I got to bring up Ms. Tina. She's going to lead us in a little chant, so hang out for just a sec.
Tina (28:20):
I think we'll close out today. I want to thank everybody for coming today and joining us, but let's leave with a good old USA chant to drown out our friend over there.
All speakers (28:30):
USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA.
