Yesterday the Murphy Administration sued three school districts for new transgender policies that require parent notification if a child asks to be called by a new name, use a bathroom unaligned with their biological gender, or use a different pronoun. The districts named in the “emergency lawsuits” are Middletown, Marlboro, and Manalapan-Englishtown.

From the lawsuit against MIddletown:

“On June 20, 2023, the (Middletown) Board passed a revised version of its Policy 5756 that discriminates against transgender students and certain gender non-conforming, non-binary, genderqueer and other gender-expansive students … in clear violation of New Jersey law,” writes Attorney General Matt Platkin. “‘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. Indeed, LGBTQ+1 students in New Jersey and elsewhere have died by suicide after being outed.”

Middletown’s transgender policy states that when emotional support services are provided to “transgender students, students facing other gender identity issues, or students who may be transitioning, that student’s parents/guardians shall also be provided [t]he full, complete, and accurate reasoning for counseling and/or referrals for mental health crisis and/or concerns . . . in relation to parental notification/consent for such services.”

The transgender policies in all three districts do have exceptions for parental notification if staff think the action could be harmful for students.

Politico (paywalled) reports the lawsuits have “already become a political issue,” citing Steve Dnistrian, a Republican state Senate candidate in Monmouth County, who issued a press release condemning them even though he doesn’t represent any of the districts.

Patch reports that the “hot-button issue” of how to best deal with transgender students is “turning into a showdown between Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration and New Jersey parents over parental rights. By defying the state, NJ school districts such as Middletown risk losing state aid or even a partial or full state takeover, NJ 101.5 reported.”

Last month the Murphy Administration sued Hanover for new policy that requires school staff to notify parents of the gender identity and sexual orientation of LGBTQ+ students. At the time Sundeep Iyer, Director of the Division on Civil Rights, said, “Our state civil rights laws are clear: New Jersey does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression,” said Sundeep Iyer, Director of the Division on Civil Rights. We will continue do everything in our power to enforce the robust protections our laws provide and to ensure that LGBTQ+ youth remain safe in our schools.”