New Jersey District Reverses Gender Information Policy Following Lawsuit
A New Jersey school district has abandoned a policy that concealed gender-related information from parents after Moms for Liberty filed suit. The Chathams board had earlier disputed whether a Supreme Court parental-rights ruling applied in New Jersey. The board has now reversed its position.
The Chathams board’s former Policy 5145.7 let a school counselor alone decide whether parents would learn that a student sought a different gender identity at school. After the district declined to rescind or amend it, Moms for Liberty sued in federal court in New Jersey in August, raising First and Fourteenth Amendment claims. The Thomas More Society represented the group.
The board replaced its policy manual on September 14 and later voted 7-0 for a settlement barring adoption of the old policy or a similar one. The agreement says the district will follow the parental-notice protections described in Mirabelli and Mahmoud v. Taylor.
The settlement could affect how Chathams schools communicate with parents about students’ gender-related requests, potentially increasing parental involvement while raising concerns about student privacy and trust in school staff. Other districts may see it as a signal about the reach of Mirabelli, though its interim nature and local settlement limit its direct legal force. Families, counselors, and teachers may face new clarity—or new tension—as policies are reviewed.