‘Bombshell’ Admission Over NJ School Trans Policy

Nearly two dozen school districts are expected to defy orders from Gov. Phil Murphy's administration regarding parental notification if a child changes gender identity in school.

The actions will come after what one school board member called a "bombshell" admission:

The orders from Murphy are not really orders at all, merely "guidance," and they can be rejected by any district that chooses to do so.

A New Jersey Superior Court judge placed a temporary hold on policies passed by three Monmouth County school districts that would require teachers to notify parents about changes in their child's gender identity.

Judge David Bauman sided with Attorney General Matthew Platkin, whose office sued the districts over the policies. The state argued that the policies would disproportionately impact transgender students and be discriminatory.

The bombshell admission

However, the New York Post is reporting on a brief, but powerful, exchange during a separate hearing involving the Hanover School District.

It was at that hearing on Sept. 6, according to the Post, that Deputy Attorney General James Michael conceded before the judge that ban on parental notification was only "guidance" and not "mandatory."

Monday night, the Hanover Township School Board voted to repeal what is known as Policy 5756 in its entirety.

School board member Gregory Skiff was incredulous about what he said was "a widespread effort to misrepresent to school districts statewide that 5756 was mandatory" when it simply was not.

The admission by Michael has largely gone overlooked. Until now.

Middletown School Board vice president Jacqueline Tobacco told The Post, "It felt like a complete bombshell to us."

The Middletown, Marlboro, and Manalapan school boards are expected to join Hanover Township and reject the state Policy 5756 in favor of writing their own policies.

What the Murphy administration will do is unclear.

Gov. Murphy and his representatives from the Attorney General's Office and Education Department have threatened and taken legal action against districts that have defied guidance on dealing with transgender students for months.

There has been no public comment from Murphy or Attorney General Matt Platkin since Monday night's vote in Hanover Township.