New Jersey sues school districts over trans notification policy

The state of New Jersey has sued three school districts after they changed their policies to require parental notification if students come out as transgender or change their preferred pronouns.

The lawsuits against the three northern New Jersey districts were filed Wednesday morning.

“The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination flatly prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression, and we are firmly committed to taking swift action in response to any policy that violates that prohibition,” the state attorney general’s office said in a statement.

Marlboro, Middletown and Manalapan public school districts passed the measures in Tuesday meetings after raucous public comment sessions. The Marlboro meeting had more than 40 people speak for and against the change, according to local media.

The state sued one district last month for passing a similar measure.

The Middletown district meeting was protested by more than 350 people who said the policy would “out” LGBTQ students.

“I would like to continue to know that the district I have just graduated from will do its best for future trans students. But this policy makes me feel otherwise,” a resident said at the Middletown meeting. “By outing students to their families you are doing them a huge disservice for their emotional, mental and physical well-being.”

In a radio interview Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said he was “offended” by the districts’ rule changes.

“I don’t like it; I think it’s not who we are as a state or a country. We’re living in this us versus them moment in our country … invariably, communities like the trans community are the big losers. They’re the ones that get singled out, they’re the ones that get behind the eight ball and it just offends me at the core,” Murphy said during the interview.

State guidance says that schools “shall ensure” that students are addressed by their preferred pronouns, can dress in accordance with their gender identity and that parental notification or consent is not required.