MARLBORO, NJ – The Pacific Justice Institute, a non-profit organization that advocates for religious freedoms and civil liberties, has filed a motion to intervene in a complaint filed by the New Jersey Attorney General’s office against the Hanover Board of Education.
The motion is supported by Shawn Hyland, the Director of Advocacy for the New Jersey Family Policy Center, which aims to protect the freedom of parents to act according to their faith.
The complaint filed by the Attorney General alleges civil rights violations by the Hanover Board of Education regarding their parental notification policies concerning a student’s mental health and gender identity.
The board initially repealed its original policy but replaced it with a new policy that removed specific references to gender identity while maintaining the intent to notify parents about concerns involving their children. The Attorney General continued to challenge the revised policy, asserting that it violates the Law Against Discrimination.
In addition to the case against the Hanover Board of Education, the Attorney General has filed civil rights violations against three other school districts in New Jersey: Marlboro, Middletown, and Manalapan. The Attorney General and the Commissioner of Education issued a statement urging school boards to stop passing parental notification policies.
The New Jersey Family Policy Center seeks intervenor status in the Hanover Board of Education case, as they believe the outcome directly impacts the rights of parents and children statewide. They argue that parents should be involved in all matters related to their children’s mental health and well-being, and denying the intervention would impede parents’ ability to protect their fundamental rights.
“For Attorney General Matt Platkin to tell school boards to keep parents in the dark, lie to parents, and view parents as the problem is grossly irresponsible and a serious violation of parental rights. I believe the Attorney General is insincere when he claims that telling parents the gender identity of their children violates the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. That law was never intended to hide important medical information about a young child from their parent. It is a very distorted and warped application of the law to say that it does,” said Shawn Hyland, Director of Advocacy, New Jersey Family Policy Center
Representatives from the Pacific Justice Institute and the New Jersey Family Policy Center criticize the Attorney General’s stance, claiming that it violates parental rights and keeps parents uninformed about their children’s health. They believe that parental involvement is crucial for the safety and well-being of children.
“The Attorney General’s attempt to force school districts to keep a secret shadow medical file on children inaccessible to their parents is a serious violation of parental rights. Parents must be included in all matters involving their children’s mental health and social and emotional well-being. That is the only way to keep them safe. We urge him to honor the roles and responsibilities of parents in raising their children,” said Karyn White, a lawyer with PJI.
The Pacific Justice Institute and the New Jersey Family Policy Center anticipate that their motion to intervene will be granted by Judge Minkowitz to ensure fair representation for parents in the case.
