Chatham School District Faces Suit Over Gender Policy for Students, Citing 2 Supreme Court Rulings
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 4
Chatham School District Faces Suit Over Gender Policy for Students, Citing 2 Supreme Court Rulings
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 4
Summary
An Aug. 24 lawsuit targets New Jersey’s School District of the Chathams over a policy letting students change names and gender identity at school without automatic parental notification.
Under the policy, students can alter official school records and use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity, while a guidance counselor decides whether parents are told.
Moms for Liberty, Moms for America and two anonymous parents say the policy violates First Amendment protections, the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause and parental-rights rulings in Mirabelli v. Bonta and Mahmoud v. Taylor.
The dispute sharpened after a June 15 school board meeting where board president Ann Ciccarelli said the district was following New Jersey’s 2018 transgender-student guidance rather than Mirabelli; state Attorney General Matthew Platkin has said Policy 5756 is not mandatory.
The case adds to a widening national fight over school gender policies, with plaintiffs also alleging students could face discipline for using the wrong pronouns and parents opposing the policy have faced threats.