Holmdel Board of Education moves to repeal controversial gender policy

Gender identity in schools is resurfacing as a key issue in this year’s elections, following the Holmdel Board of Education taking an initial vote to repeal a controversial state policy last week.

The Board advanced repealing a state policy that bars schools from notifying parents about students’ gender identities. Although the policy will remain in the district at least until a “confirmation” vote later this month, the vote brings to light the increasing political division on student issues.”

Holmdel is but the latest example of the growing tension over gender identity in schools, with school boards becoming embroiled in increasingly political and legal fights.

The policy was originally implemented by the state’s Department of Education to protect students who identify as transgender or as non-binary, with proponents believing that notifying parents – or “outing” students – could potentially damage the student’s overall well-being.

However, a not-insignificant number of parents have viewed the policy as government overreach that only alienates them from their children.

Indeed, these issues motivated the school districts of Marlboro, Middletown, and Manalapan-Englishtown to repeal the policy and institute parental notification about students’ gender identities earlier this summer.

In response, the state’s Attorney General filed a lawsuit against those school districts, citing that the policy change violated the state’s Law Against Discrimination.

As a consequence of the lawsuit, those school districts’ policies on parental notification have not gone into effect, due to a court injunction.

The legal fights and school board drama underscore gender identity in schools as an increasingly important issue in this year’s legislative elections. Republicans largely view this as an issue that benefits them electorally, especially in competitive districts.

In fact, in August, the Republican State Leadership Conference (RSLC) ran a digital ad in several competitive districts that focused on gender in schools and parental notification.

Even more, the State Board of Education’s decision earlier this summer to re-approve a controversial equity code – that segregated sex ed classes on gender identity instead of sex and removed many instances of gendered language – has also energized Republicans.

Whether gender identity in schools is the issue that determines the outcome of this year’s election remains unknown, but Republicans are betting that it only further energizes their base.