“In addition, a legal or court-ordered name change is not required. It also states that the school district “shall accept a student’s asserted gender identity” and that “parental consent is not required.” A student does not need to meet any threshold diagnosis or treatment requirements to have his or her gender identity recognized and respected by the school district, the school or school staff members, it states. The policy states that it was adopted by the school board to help school district officials to “take steps to create an inclusive environment in which transgender and gender-nonconforming students feel safe and supported, and to ensure each school provides equal educational opportunities for all students.”

The policy, which was adopted in 2016 and revised in 2019, states that the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination “generally makes it unlawful for schools to subject individuals to differential treatment based on gender identity or expression.” It is mandated by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). At the center of the debate is the school district’s nine-page policy on transgender students, known as Policy 5756.

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