Middletown rescinds transgender student policy; Marlboro, Manalapan schools will follow

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Middletown rescinds transgender student policy; Marlboro, Manalapan schools will follow

Two school districts in Monmouth County are expected to abolish their policies on transgender students on Tuesday, a move parents’ rights advocates say marks a victory against state officials.

Marlboro and Manalapan-Englishtown Regional school districts will vote to abolish their guidance documents that set standards for school staff on transgender and nonbinary students.

Middletown’s school board voted last week to abolish their own own transgender student policy.

Critics of the state’s standard transgender student policy said it encourages school staff to keep a student’s changed gender identity secret from parents and violates parents’ rights to information about their children.

“This vote… will guarantee no child faces individual discrimination and every parent in this district will remain actively involved in their child’s education with complete transparency in Middletown,” school board President Frank Capone said during the Middletown board meeting.

The state-recommended

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adopted by many New Jersey schools provides guidance to teachers and staff to use and respect a child’s preferred pronoun. Staff should also use the child’s chosen name and permit them to participate in activities that align with their gender identity, according to the document.

The policy also recommends staff not share the student’s changed gender expression with parents or guardians without the child or teenager’s consent. An exception is made in the policy for cases where student health and safety is compromised or there is a bias-related crime.

However, advocates for the rights of transgender students say outing a child to a parent or guardian without the student’s consent puts them in danger.

“We know that LGBTQ+ youth — particularly trans youth — make up over 40% of the entire youth homeless population in our nation,” Christian Fuscarino of Garden State Equality, the executive director of New Jersey’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, said in a statement about the student policy. “Forcibly outing students to potentially unsupportive homes does not create safer schools; it puts vulnerable young people at risk.

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In Middletown, Marlboro and Manalapan-Englishtown Regional, school board members tried to amend the standard transgender student policy and add a requirement for staff and teachers to notify parents if a student changed gender expression.

As a result, the school districts were sued in 2023 by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who said passing school policies that would out transgender students violates the state’s Law Against Discrimination.

While the case has been pending before the state Division on Civil Rights, the Appellate Division of Superior Court ruled last week that while the three school districts await a court decision on that matter, they cannot enact the policy with the parental notification provision.

However, they can adopt entirely new transgender student policies for their staff, according to the Appellate Division decision.

Capone, of Middletown, called the court ruling a “significant victory” during last week’s board meeting, where the board voted to abolish their policy. One Middletown school board member, Deborah Wright, cast the only opposing vote.

“Let this outcome send a powerful message to Gov. Murphy and Attorney General Platkin,” Capone said. “It’s time to stop using our children as pawns and political games. Middletown will not accept the abuse.”

At Manalapan-Englishtown Regional, Board of Education President David Ferber said transgender students are protected from discrimination through other board policies; therefore, keeping the previous transgender student policy is not necessary or mandatory.

“The Attorney General weaponized his position for political purposes, never afforded us a hearing before the (state) Division on Civil Rights, and (is) wasting taxpayer dollars for a frivolous lawsuit against three school districts, including Manalapan-Englishtown, which continues to be at the top of state rankings in education,” Ferber said. “We strongly believe that parental involvement is in the best interest of our K-8th grade students.”

He added: “We do not intend to replace it (the transgender student guidance) with another policy.”

The Middletown Democrats denounced their local school board rescinding the transgender student guidance.

“By choosing to repeal this policy, the Board has sent a clear and troubling message: transgender students are not welcome or protected in our schools,” the township Democrats said in an email to the Asbury Park Press. “This reckless move does nothing but create confusion, fear, and unnecessary division.”

Transgender students will still be protected by the state’s Law Against Discrimination, despite the board’s moves, the Middletown Democrats said.

“By calling a special meeting solely to target transgender youth, this board has made it clear that they are more focused on culture wars than on providing quality education for all students,” they said.

Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 17 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, *****@*****.tld or 732-557-5701.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press:

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