Attorney General Alan Wilson defends parental rights at SCOTUS

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that he is co-leading a friend-of-the-court brief to the U.S. Supreme Court defending the right of parents to send their children to private school without giving up access to generally available public benefits.

The States that filed the brief have all adopted various school-choice policies. The States argue that when they make these educational benefits generally available, families should not be forced to surrender their right to choose the right educational option for their children in order to accept the public benefits.

“Education is a central responsibility of the state, but parents are the cornerstone and foundation of their child’s education,” Attorney General Wilson stated. “Any effort to restrict a family's educational options is an undue burden on parental rights."

The brief also argues that such restrictions on public benefits especially burden religious families, because religious schools are often private.

Attorney General Wilson is co-leading this brief along with West Virginia. The following states joined as well: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Texas.

You can read the brief here.