Editor,

I am responding to an article written in the Times-News on Sept. 13, 2025 by Jarred Hedes entitled “Lehighton broaches parental opt-outs.” The article was professionally written.

My concern is the concept of opting-out vs preferring opt-in for this highly controversial “educational” policy that the LASD is considering. In today’s evolving hyper liberal society, I think the better action to take across the Commonwealth public school system is to develop these never-before-seen policies is to write them as “opting-in” for those minority of parents who would even want their minor children exposed to this learning in a public institution.

Why should the vast majority of parents who do not want their children exposed to this unnecessary “curriculum” have to take the extra steps to opt-out?

For the life of me, I cannot wrap my head around how this so-called educational curriculum was approved by the Department of Education. And going one step further, why would any school board entertain the thought of complying with it without significant protest?

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty should be requiring parents who want their children exposed to this provide a moral or religious basis for “opting-in,” not to opt out.

As for any current Pennsylvania law(s) in place that allow(s) for opting out, SHAME on our legislators for not seriously thinking this through.

I hope the Lehighton Area School Board members read this and reconsider. Flip the narrative and advocate for a schoolwide policy where the minority must opt-in instead!

Respectfully submitted,

Gerard E. Grega

Weatherly Times-News subscriber