a North Jersey School District's policy involving gender identity is now in the hands of the Court a judge late Friday temporarily blocked Hanover Township's new policy requiring staff to notify parents of their child's gender identity and sexual orientation School leaders argue it's one part of a larger plan to identify issues impacting a student's well-being but the state says it unfairly outs lgbtq plus children senior correspondent Joanna gagas reports a battle over lgbtq students rights versus parental rights has been taken to the courts in a case brought by the Attorney General against the Hanover School District the policy singles out sexual preference sexual orientation as uh as something that Educators must relate to parents the policy was approved by the Hanover School Board last Tuesday requiring Educators to alert parents if a student told them their sexual identity or preference attorney general Matt platten office has sued the district for violating the state's anti-discrimination laws and a judge has placed a temporary stay on the measure that by definition singles out members of the lgbtq plus Community they're not saying they'll single out a boy and a girl holding hands they're talking about sexual preference here and so what that does is it puts a Target on the back of every lgbtq plus kid who's in a new in that school district and that violates New Jersey Law the Hanover School District rejects that notion saying in a statement policy 8463 does not unlawfully discriminate against any student on the basis of any protected status whatsoever it goes on to say that it requires school staff members to notify parents of any facts or circumstances that may have a material impact on a student's physical and or mental health and or social emotional well-being listing things like substance use Eating Disorders self-harm unlawful activity and sexuality sexual orientation transitioning gender identity or expression among others Senator Joe panaccio says the Hanover rule is meant to protect students and strongly defends parents rights there's an anointed amount of kids unfortunately that either if they have transgender issues or sexuality issues they try to commit suicide they're bullied I think that parents have an absolute right to know if that's the case that way if those children need help need nurturing need counseling they can get them back Michael goddess man is founder of an advocacy organization that petitioned government to step in these things are spreading virally throughout the state from District to district and that's why um and that you as government officials have to do something um you either got to give us the ammo because we can't wait a year for an Ethics complaint to be resolved or eight to ten months for petition to the commissioner of Education to get resolved because in the meantime you know 40 50 more districts will have joined on in this nonsense and opponents of the bill say it's that very risk of suicide that makes this law so dangerous Studies have shown that uh 60 plus uh have thoughts of committing suicide and unfortunately in that Community um the the number of suicides is very very high above the general student population lgbtq youth already experienced the highest rates of homelessness because they are kicked out of their homes by parents who can't accept how they identify they experience some of the highest rates in bullying in schools so this is a vulnerable population Christian fuscarino is putting it back on the parents to communicate directly with their kids if parents are concerned with knowing whether their child is lgbtq or not they should be actively working to create a safe and comfortable environment at home where the student or the child feels comfortable coming out to the parent the Colts Neck school district is voting on a similar measure this week if other districts are considering similar policies they should know that if they run afoul of our laws we will be stepping in both sides will get the chance to make their case next week and a court will decide if this is in fact protecting or hurting these kids for NJ Spotlight news I'm Joanna Gagis [Music] [Music]