Sparta BOE rescinds transgender policy, allowing parental notification 'case by case'

SPARTA — The townships' Board of Education has rescinded it's policy on transgender students and going forward will take parental notification on a case-by-case basis.

The action by Sussex County's largest school district came Thursday night in a series of votes by the six members of the board who attended the meeting. A motion to postpone the decision failed and was then followed by a vote on several action items, including repeal of the old notification policy.

That policy, known as 5756 and modeled on state guidelines, required the district to honor a student's choice of gender identities and pronouns without notifying their parents or guardians.

The move was made in the shadow of lawsuits filed by the state Attorney General against four other New Jersey districts that adopted policies requiring the notification of parents when a student declares a change in gender identity. The AG's office has said that could put LGBTQ+ students in peril.

A state judge agreed with the argument last month, putting a hold on a notification policy in Hanover Township in Morris County.

The board has nine members, but Christina Keiling, Craig Pelleschi and Vanessa Serrano were absent from the meeting. That left enough for a quorum, allowing a majority of four to repeal the policy.

There was a vote to table the repeal of 5756, but it failed by a 2-4 vote. When a full block of "personnel and policy" actions was put up for a vote, including the repeal board President Kurt Morris and LeeAnne Pitzer, Walter Knapp and Leigh McMichael voted for it.

Lauren Collier and Wendy Selander also voted in favor of the block of actions, but added: "except 'No on 5756'."

Related: NJ parent writes book on raising transgender child in family of faith

During the discussion before the vote, Superintendent Matthew Beck said that if the policy were rescinded, notification to parents about a student's gender identity "will be done on a case-by-case basis in the best interest of the student."

What was not asked or discussed at the meeting was how common such a situation arises in the district.

On the issue of a growing student population and overcrowding, Beck told the board that an architect is studying both Alpine and Helen Morgan schools and looking at a possible addition to Alpine to address the issue as well as how the district could add a pre-K program for 3-4 year olds, possibly at Helen Morgan.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Sparta NJ schools rescind policy on transgender, parental notification