The state of New Jersey is suing three school districts for adopting policies that require parents to be informed if their children show signs of changing their gender identity.
State Attorney General Matt Platkin filed the lawsuits on Wednesday against the Manalapan-Englishtown, Marlboro, and Middletown school districts and boards.
Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy lives in Middletown.
The state alleges that the policies violate New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination and put transgender students at risk.
Manalapan's policy also 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," Politico reported.
The Marlboro policy eliminates the requirement that all students are entitled to access school facilities in accordance with their gender identity, the state says. The policy also permits the district to deviate from 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 reads, Politico reported.
"Indeed, LGBTQ+ students in New Jersey and elsewhere have died by suicide after being outed."
Marc Zitomer, attorney for Marlboro's school board, said he's confident the new policy balances the rights of parents and students.
"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 said in an email to Politico.
"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."
Parents who support the policy say they deserve to know what's going on with their children. They also say that not involving parents is "nonsensical," as one Marlboro parent said, and that secrecy causes the child even more confusion and mental health challenges.
"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.
The Manalapan-Englishtown, Marlboro, and Middletown school districts' policies were enacted June 20, according to the attorney general's office. Each policy makes exception for parents' notification if there's reason to believe doing so could put the student in harm's way.
New Jersey last month filed a similar lawsuit against the Hanover Board of Education regarding the Morris County district's parental notification policy.
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