Murphy defends decision to sue schools over LGBT policies

On a segment of “Face the Nation” yesterday, Gov. Phil Murphy defended his administration’s decision to sue several school districts over their policies that would “out” transgender and gender-nonconforming students to their parents.

“We took these actions because it’s the right thing to do to protect these precious young people,” Murphy told interviewer Margaret Brennan. “Parents are always involved, certainly in our administration. They’re always at the table, and they always will be. But let’s be smart about this. Let’s protect the rights of these precious kids.”

Over the course of this year, a number of New Jersey school boards in conservative-leaning towns have adopted policies to inform parents if a child indicates they may be transgender. So far, Attorney General Matt Platkin has sued school districts in Hanover, Manalapan-Englishtown, Marlboro, and Middletown, and more districts could soon implement policies that will draw the ire of Murphy’s administration.

Supporters of the school districts’ policies have said that they’re necessary to protect parental rights, but Murphy countered yesterday that the rights of the children themselves are just as important.

“Let’s not violate the constitutional and civil rights of precious young folks, who in many cases are coming to grips with life as they grow up,” Murphy said. “Let’s be all in this together, as opposed to this us-versus-them, this demonizing. When that happens, invariably it’s the LGBT community, particularly trans folks, who get behind the eight ball.”

While the legal battles themselves have so far been limited to a few select school districts, the political debate has extended far beyond their borders. A number of GOP state legislators and legislative candidates have weighed in against the lawsuit, with many Republicans evidently seeing the issue as one that could pay political dividends in this year’s elections.

“[Phil Murphy] said this weekend that suing school districts over parental notification is the ‘right thing to do,’” the New Jersey GOP said this morning on Twitter. “The right thing to do is to send Murphy’s Democrats packing this November.”