School board debates over parents demanding to be told if their child is transgender tend to showcase loud voices and partisan politics, on both sides. Now a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll takes a statewide snapshot of how New Jersey residents overall see the issue, and a slim majority say teachers should not be required by law to out students to parents if the kids don’t feel safe about it.
“We see only about three in 10 who are on the side of the teacher being compelled to say something to the parents,” says Ashley Koning, the director of the Rutgers Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling. “New Jerseyans certainly recognize that transgender students are facing things like bullying and depression and anxiety and harassment and potentially don’t feel safe in their homes.”
The poll results to the question: Should teachers out trans students who don’t feel safe?
- 54% — Don’t tell
- 31% — Do tell
- 15% — Not sure
- By political party, 72% of Democrats said don’t tell, 48% of independents, and 34% of Republicans
Lauren Albrecht, the director of advocacy and organizing for Garden State Equality, reacted: “This poll tells us that first of all, more New Jerseyans favor keeping kids safe than favor outing kids into unsafe homes. I think that that’s the bottom line and the basis for this.”
She said a politically charged atmosphere and high-profile cases like the death of trans teen Nex Benedict in Oklahoma have sharpened debate over anti-LGBTQ bullying, the parental rights movement and school safety.
Still, Albrecht said the Murphy administration’s transgender education guidance remains a flashpoint. The policy advises schools to keep a student’s gender identity change private, even from families. So far, a handful of districts here have repealed or tried to rewrite that guidance, including last month in Old Bridge. New board school board members in Fort Lee are currently seeking to rewrite it as well, with a meeting set for Monday night.
