Singer: Government Has No Authority to Trump Parental Rights

In response to the recent ruling issued against three Monmouth County school districts, Senator Robert Singer said that the decision to grant the injunction was wrong and that the government’s duty to keep the public safe and enforce laws does not trump basic parental rights.

“The judge overseeing this case got it wrong by issuing that injunction against the schools. The government does not have the authority to wedge themselves between parents, their children, and the schools that they attend,” said Singer (R-30). “As a father, I can say that there is no more important relationship than that of a parent and their child. Telling schools to cut parents out of the equation is the definition of government overreach and makes schools liable for those student’s mental health needs. Parents deserve to know every aspect of their child’s life.”

On Friday, a judge overseeing the case against the Middletown, Manalapan, and Marlboro school districts ruled in favor of the State and granted a temporary injunction to suspend the parental notification policies that the government argued were violating state law.

Senate Republicans have echoed support for parents and their right to be involved in their child’s education. A poll from Monmouth University indicated that 81% of New Jersey parents believe that middle and high schools should be required to notify parents if their child wants to identify as a different gender.

Senator Singer believes that ultimately siding with the State on this issue will create a slippery slope that could keep parents from viewing their child’s report card, academic performance, or even being notified about behavioral issues.

“There is a line that the government is crossing by pushing policies on parents and schools that aren’t even wanted in New Jersey. Moving forward with these lawsuits and taking rights away from parents will set a disturbing precedent and open the door for more issues to be kept hidden from a parent or guardian,” Singer added. “Are schools going to suddenly stop sending report cards because they don’t know how a parent will react to their child failing academically? Parents should be notified about everything because parental involvement is the key to educational success.”