NJ school board to vote on trans rights vs. parents rights

Yahoo

13-02-2025

MIDDLETOWN, N.J. (NewsNation) — Transgender rights activists say it's a policy meant to protect a vulnerable population, while some New Jersey parents say it's about parents rights and safeguarding children.
It's a debate that began in Middletown when the city disagreed with the state's guidelines.
'There is no affirmative duty for any school district personnel to notify a student's parent or guardian of the student's gender identity or expression,' according to the policy.
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That policy meant schools would not notify a parent if their child is in the process of transitioning.
At the time, NewsNation's Rich McHugh spoke with Caterina Skalaski, who has kids in the district.
'For the state to tell teachers to keep this a secret from their parents is just crossing a line,' she said. 'I don't want my parental rights taken away. It's my parental right to defend my children, my parental rights to raise my children as how I see fit.'
Now, a New Jersey appellate court has sided with Middletown.
Middletown Board of Education Vice President Jacqueline Tobacco told NewsNation she's in favor of abolishing the policy.
'At this point, I think it's important for us to abolish the policy,' she said. 'We have been under a court order to maintain it for 18 months, whereas other districts were allowed to repeal it because we initially tried to include parents in that conversation just to amend the policy. At this point, abolishing the policy will allow us to continue to treat every child with the utmost care and consideration that we've always treated children and respect the parents who want to be involved in their children's lives and their decisions.'
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The board has called a meeting for Thursday when they will try and abolish the rule.
The meeting is expected to get heated.
The group Garden State Equality sent a letter to the board asking them to reconsider this vote.
'We ask that you reconsider your decision to prioritize the removal of this policy, as removing this policy has only the effect of signaling to LGBTQ students and their parents in your district that this Board of Education would rather not stand by a data-driven policy that helps keep LGBTQ kids safe,' it said.
Psychologist Dr. Erica Anderson, who is transgender and advised Middletown's school board on their policy and has been consulted in nearly a dozen state battles, disagrees.
'The rightful authority for the health and wellbeing of children resides with parents,' said Anderson. 'So to cut parents out of something so significant that's happening at school is a grave mistake.'
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