New Jersey Blocks School Districts from Notifying Parents About Transgender Children

The New Jersey Superior Court has enforced a temporary block on school districts’ ability to notify parents if their children request certain accommodations for their gender identity. Despite this block being non-permanent, it is still a decision that holds the lives and safety of trans children in its best interest. This is a massive win for transgender children in unsupportive households. The block has the stipulation that when a child comes out as transgender, then the school may not notify the parents.

Many protesters have stated that the rules for reporting encompass things that could harm a child’s mental health. While many LGBTQ+ individuals do suffer from mental health problems, this is often not due to their identity at all, but due to the harassment, discrimination, and dangerous environments perpetuated by those around them. The Trevor Project conducted a survey in 2023 on this very topic, and they found that, “Transgender and nonbinary young people who reported that all of the people they live with respect their pronouns reported lower rates of attempting suicide.”

The safety of children in schools is paramount, and that includes safety from discrimination and bullying for their gender identity and sexuality. That safety that is expected in schools should not be removed as soon as the child gets home. As Attorney General Matthew Platkin stated, the policies in place currently put trans students at risk. Without disrespecting the authority of parental figures in their students’ lives, it makes sense to leave the choice to come out to the person who is exploring their identity.

Platkin says in a statement, “All our lawsuits seek to do is to reinstate the same policies these districts found acceptable with little protest for years. Put simply, we can both keep parents informed about their children’s development and protect the civil rights of our most vulnerable students. Our laws require nothing less.”