TRENTON, NJ – Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio urges state legislators to vote on a bill aimed at preventing schools from withholding certain information from parents and guardians about their children’s mental and physical health.
Assembly Republicans Greg McGuckin and John Catalano intend to introduce legislation requiring schools to provide “truthful” information to parents upon request. The information would encompass whether a child identifies as transgender or gender nonconforming. Currently, state guidelines instruct schools to keep this information from parents and guardians.
DiMaio criticized the current state policy, describing it as “state-sanctioned lying by omission.” He contends that if schools can withhold this type of information about some students, they could potentially withhold information about all students.
In Monmouth County, three school districts adopted policies that would allow schools to inform parents if their children are transitioning. However, Superior Court Judge David Bauman issued an injunction against these policies after a lawsuit from state Attorney General Matt Platkin.
DiMaio expressed concern over what he sees as government overreach. He argued that except in extreme cases where harm may occur, decisions regarding a child’s well-being should remain in the hands of parents and guardians, rather than government officials.