Parents Now Have the Right to Know if Their Kids Change Pronouns in This N.J. School District

The “Parental Bill of Rights” in Monmouth County, New Jersey, has split parents, educators, and advocates. The Colts Neck school boardoverwhelmingly adopted the policy, which tells parents when kids change pronouns or gender identities.

The new policy reinforces state and federal rules allowing parents to opt out of health, family, and sex education. The 1,000-student Colts Neck School District offers three kindergarten–8th-grade campuses and encourages family participation.

At the school board meeting, President Angelique Volpe emphasized parental rights. The school system won’t overrule parents’ education choices, she added. Volpe assured the community that all pupils will be treated equally without compromising family values or education. Sexuality will never contradict family rights or school missions, she said.

LGBTQ+ groups warn it could hurt transgender and gender-nonconforming students. Michael Gottesman of the New Jersey Public Education Coalition said the measure threatened LGBTQ+ youth gender identity rights. Others fear “forced outing” and discriminatory psychological injury from alerting parents about gender or identity changes.

Supporters say parents should know their kids’ key life milestones. One advocate thinks letting parents choose school curricula honors their culture and faith. Conservative activist Shawn Hyland supports parental education values.

Under 2018 state regulations, most of New Jersey’s 600 school districts respected transgender kids’ privacy while changing names or pronouns. Districts can examine these policies after a February appellate ruling. The State Attorney General sued multiple districts over transgender policy changes. While the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights examined, the judge permitted school boards utilize alternate approaches.

New Jersey schools like Colts Neck balance parental rights and student privacy in gender identity. School policies on parental rights and LGBTQ+ student safeguards are debated nationally.

District disagreements regarding parents’ role in education and protecting vulnerable pupils may be affected by Colts Neck’s “Parental Bill of Rights”.

Sources:

Press covers Colts Neck School Board.
NJ Education Department guidelines
NJ Civil Rights Division publications
Official Colts Neck School Board remarks