A recent decision by the New Jersey Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling by a Monmouth County Superior Court judge that Middletown’s proposed transgender student policy is dangerous and may be illegal. The policy, which sought to require teachers to inform parents if a child was using different names, pronouns, or bathrooms in school, was put on hold by Judge David Bauman in 2023. The Appeals Court agreed with Bauman’s concerns that the policy could harm transgender students and violate New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination.
Middletown school board lawyer Bruce Padula appealed Bauman’s decision, but the Appeals Court ultimately sided with the initial concerns raised by Bauman. The court ruled that the policy may be illegal, could harm transgender students, and does not violate parents’ rights under the 14th Amendment. The Middletown Board of Education is now free to repeal both the state’s suggested transgender policy and its own policy in response. The Attorney General’s lawsuit against the school board is still ongoing. High-ranking Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, have praised the ruling as a win for parental rights, while LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have criticized the decision.
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