The Democratic attorney general for the state of New Jersey has filed suit against three school districts after they dared to adopt a policy that required parental notification if their children claimed to be something other than their birth gender.
State Attorney General Matt Platkin filed the lawsuits on Wednesday against the Manalapan-Englishtown, Marlboro, and Middletown school districts and boards, Newsmax reported, adding that Democratic N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy lives in Middletown.
In his complaints, Platkin alleges that the policies violate New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination and somehow put transgender students at risk.
In addition, Manalpan’s policy says that for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, “the responsibility for determining a student’s gender identity rests with the student’s parents/guardians,” according to Politico.
According to the state, the Marlboro policy removes the mandate that guarantees all students the right to use school facilities based on their gender identity. Additionally, the policy allows the district to disregard a student’s preferred name and pronoun when “a parent/guardian of a minor student disagrees with the student regarding the name and/or pronoun to be used at school.”
“‘Outing’ these students against their will poses serious mental health risks; threatens physical harm to students, including risking increased suicides; decreases the likelihood students will seek support; and shirks the District’s obligation to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all,” the Marlboro lawsuit says, according to Politico.
“Indeed, LGBTQ+ students in New Jersey and elsewhere have died by suicide after being outed,” it adds.
Marlboro school board attorney Marc Zitomer ripped the lawsuit and said he is confident that the district’s policy properly balances both student and parental rights.
“We vehemently disagree with Attorney General’s argument that it is somehow discriminatory or improper to notify a parent that their minor child is changing their gender identity or expression,” Zitomer told Politico via email.
“It is our position that keeping parents in the dark about important issues involving their children is counterintuitive and contrary to well established U.S. Supreme Court case law that says that parents have a constitutional right to direct and control the upbringing of their children,” he added.
Meanwhile, parents who support the policies rightfully contend they have a right to know what is happening with their own children. Not involving parents is “nonsensical,” as one Marlboro parent said, and that the secrecy and hiding are actually mentally worse on kids.
“People here tonight spoke of increasing suicide rates, and all the emotions, social, and mental distress that comes along with gender dysphoria, and something like that should never be kept from a parent,” said one Marlboro area parent who attended a meeting on Tuesday.
