It's been several weeks since this public feud between New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and Republican State Representative Jay Webber was in the news. But the substance of their disagreement has never been more germane or important to the rest of our wayward culture than it is right now.
In keeping with the legislative onslaught of progressive transgender activists, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his fellow Democrat, State Attorney General Matt Platkin, are continuing their aggressive campaign to censure and punish schools for "outing" kids to their parents. That is, schools are being prosecuted for telling parents that their children were assuming another gender at school, or were identifying themselves publicly as gay or lesbian.
Under direction from the Murphy administration, Platkin filed a civil rights complaint against the Hanover Township school board, weeks ago, alleging that by expecting teachers to communicate such sensitive matters with parents necessarily endangers the lives of children. They have now filed three more lawsuits against the Manalapan-Englishtown, Marlboro, and Middletown school districts for the same offense.
"‘Outing' LGBTQ+ students against their will poses serious mental health risks; threatens physical harm to students, including risking increased suicides; and shirks the District's obligation to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all," Plakin's office said in the complaint. "Indeed, LGBTQ+ students in New Jersey and elsewhere have died by suicide after being outed."
Supposing that Murphy and Platkin are sincere in their concerns, it's fair to assume they might point to cases where young people do not feel their parents would be accepting of their new identity. And therein lies the great difficulty in engaging this debate.
As a public high school teacher for over twenty years I can say that responsible educators get to know their students and their home situation as quickly as they can. Among other things, it helps to know what the most effective strategies will be to motivate and reach the kid. You quickly learn which kids have a volatile or difficult home life.
As a matter of law and principle, if any teacher suspects physical abuse, they are required to contact authorities. Few people I've ever met disagree with that expectation. But here's where it gets tough.
Remember that progressives consider moral disagreement, a refusal to participate in name or pronoun changes, or spiritual rebuke to be examples of parental "abuse." In other words, by lumping basic parental responsibilities under the umbrella of abuse, the left strips parental rights away in the name of protecting children.
And that's precisely why State Representative Jay Webber has pushed back against the New Jersey administration.
This is the heart of the issue. In fact, it's the heart of so many issues now facing our society. As the U.S. federal government has grown well beyond its intended parameters to the point where it is intimately involved in every affair of citizens, it was completely predictable that we would reach this point where government bureaucrats not only believe they have the right to tell parents how to do their jobs, but believe they can do the job of loving and protecting children better than parents.
It's that same philosophy inherent in President Biden's recent proclamation that, "these are our kids…they're all our kids." And it's the philosophy that animates Governor Phil Murphy's incoherent response to Rep. Webber:
How is informing parents of their child's potentially dangerous behavior (and surely no one is going to dispute the dangers associated with radical gender ideology) putting "the health of our young people at risk?"
Personally, I have reached out to parents during my career because I:
- Noticed behavior that led me to think their child might be bulimic.
- Noticed cuts on their child's arms.
- Noticed that the child had what could be drug paraphernalia on their person.
Given that sexual behaviors and gender confusion can be every bit as deadly as those examples, I would think the expectation to inform parents should remain consistent for them as well. Gender confusion is both a medical and psychological issue, so proper medical protocol should be followed.
In each of the cases I was involved in, the student was confronted by parents who, while disappointed in the situation, acted swiftly in the best interest of their child – not to affirm the dangerous behavior, but to get their child help in overcoming it. That's their role, just as it is mine – if I care about their kid – to keep them informed of anything they may be having hidden from them.
Will all parents care enough to help? No. But what has become of us if we think they shouldn't at least be given that opportunity?
