About this policy:
- Prevents schools from informing parents about their child’s gender identity change. This policy states that:
* The school district shall accept a student’s asserted gender identity and name change; parental consent is not required. A legal or court-ordered name change is not required.
* Schools have no duty to notify parents of their child’s identity change.
* Records of “permanent student records containing the student’s birth name should be kept in a separate, confidential file”
- Determines sports participation by student’s asserted gender identity:
NCSIAA has sports participation guidelines that the school policy could follow the statewide protocol
- Risks privacy by allowing facility usage such as locker rooms and bathrooms according to student’s asserted gender identity.
Our Concerns:
- Parental Exclusion: The policy excludes parents involvement in their child's important life decisions, undermining trust between families, students, and schools.
- Weakens student’s support system: By excluding parents from critical conversations, the policy weakens the family's ability to provide emotional and psychological support.
- Lack of verification and control against false claims of being transgender
- Fairness and protection of women's sports
- Concern in privacy and safety: sharing a locker room with different biological sex might violate the privacy of students in these shared rooms.
There will be continued support for students rights without this policy: It is important to note that this petition is not about violating or undermining transgender rights. We stand firm in our commitment to protecting the rights of all students, including transgender students, as required by New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws, such as the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD). Abolishing this policy does NOT diminish protections but rather ensures parents are informed about their child’s life decisions and transparency between schools and families.
Our Request:
- Repeal Policy 5756 so parents are informed.
- Maintain a collaborative relationship between schools and parents to support student well-being and success.
- Stop overriding and instead allow other policies already in place to maintain protection for all students including transgender students
This is not about discrimination but about allowing and including parents to fulfill their role in supporting their children during critical life decisions. Parental involvement is essential for a child’s success and well-being, and transparency is key to fostering a trusting relationship between schools and families.
Signiture below indicate support the abolition of Policy 5756 and advocate for the rights of all students. This info is only shared with Board of Education and no one else.