Religion, Parents, and Public Education at the Crossroads

Religion, Parents, and Public Education at the Crossroads

Friday, April 24, 2026 | 8:30 am

Stuart F. Smith Reading Room, William F. Starr Hall

55 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT 06105
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The Perry A. Zirkel Law and Education Conference

Co-sponsored by the University of Connecticut School of Law and Neag School of Education

Keynote Speaker: Miguel Cardona, Former U.S. Secretary of Education

This conference will bring together leading scholars, policymakers, and educators to discuss the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor holding that parents have a free exercise right to opt their children out of classroom instruction that offends their religious beliefs. In light of Mahmoud, educators face challenging questions about how localities can best manage opt-out and curriculum policies in response to parents’ claims of religious freedom. More broadly, the Mahmoud case signals a deep transformation in the law governing religious rights in school, parental rights over children’s education, and the governance of our public schools. Our panelists will address the legal, theoretical and practical implications of Mahmoud and for the future of public education in our democracy.

Panel 1: Free Exercise, Parental Rights, and a Secular Public Education

Derek Black, University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law

Osamudia James, University of North Carolina School of Law

Nomi Stolzenberg, USC Gould School of Law

Asma Uddin, Michigan State University College of Law

Panel 2: Parental Rights and School District Governance

Suzanne Eckes, University of Wisconsin

Preston Green, University of Connecticut Neag School of Education

Patrice McCarthy, Executive Director and General Counsel, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education

Fran Rabinowitz, Executive Director, Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents

*Unfortunately, we are unable to offer CLE for this event

If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the Law School at (860) 570-5079 or via email at law.studentservices@uconn.edu, at least two weeks in advance.

Photographs and/or video recordings taken at this event may be used in University and Foundation promotional and other materials.

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