Michigan Capitol Confidential: Michigan Supreme Court Denies Appeal on Parental Access to School Curricula

Scott McClallen from the Michigan Capitol Confidential reports that the Michigan Supreme Court has denied an appeal from a parent seeking access to certain school curricula. On September 25, the court refused to hear an appeal from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, filed on behalf of Carol Beth Litkouhi. Litkouhi had requested documents from Rochester Public Schools related to a high school class titled “A History of Ethnic and Gender Studies,” but the district argued that such records, held by teachers, are exempt from the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). McClallen states in the article:

"At the heart of my lawsuit was a simple but critical principle: Nothing taught in our schools should be under the cover of secrecy," Litkouhi said. "If there is any reason why secrecy is desired or needed, that alone is a red flag. The Rochester School Board felt it best to keep classroom materials secret from parents. They took money away from classrooms to fight this fight. Sadly, they have now succeeded in setting a new, disturbing legal precedent."

This ruling by the Court of Appeals earlier this year restricts access to records held by individual teachers, as only documents held directly by public bodies are subject to FOIA requests. This decision will likely limit transparency across various local government employees in Michigan, making it harder for parents and taxpayers to scrutinize public education content.

McClallen further reports:

"This isn’t just about a single class in one school district," said Steve Delie, director of transparency and open government at the Mackinac Center. "The implications of this decision are enormous. It means that records held by local government employees across the state — whether they be teachers, police officers or township workers — are likely exempt from public disclosure, making it much harder for citizens to hold their local governments accountable."

This ruling underscores the growing need for private Christian education, where parents retain full visibility and control over what their children are taught. As public schools increasingly obscure their curricula behind legal loopholes, Christian schools prioritize transparency, aligning classroom teachings with family values and Biblical principles. Parents should not have to fight for access to their child's education.

Read the full story here.