FROM STEVE DNISTRIAN FOR NJ STATE SENATE: NJ Attorney General Platkin Must Resign

More NJ School Boards Moving to Abolish Murphy-Platkin-Gopal Child Gender Policy

Dnistrian, Piperno and Eulner Call on AG to Step Aside After Suing School Boards in Favor of Notifying Parents When Children Want to Change Gender in School

COLTS NECK, N.J., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Steve Dnistrian, candidate for NJ State Senate, and Assemblywomen Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner of New Jersey's 11th Legislative District, called on Attorney General Matt Platkin to resign immediately in the face of a growing number of school districts across the state abolishing "Policy 5756" – the controversial policy that forbids parental notification and instructs schools to maintain a second set of files on children who want to change their gender identity while in school.

"Phil Murphy, Matt Platkin and Vin Gopal have failed the parents of New Jersey and gone too far with their radical gender ed agenda for children as young as five years old," Dnistrian said. "Even as an increasing number of school districts reject this misguided policy, and even after 81 percent of parents in New Jersey have said schools should be mandated to notify parents in these situations, Murphy, Platkin and Gopal continue to ignore the will of the people and the will of parents. Murphy needs to withdraw these lawsuits, Platkin needs to resign, and Gopal – the so-called Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and architect of this disturbing sex/gender ed agenda for children– must be defeated in November."

Platkin is suing three Monmouth County school boards to defend Policy 5756, and continues to pursue a suit in Hanover. Following public backlash about the lawsuits, the AG's office changed its characterization of Policy 5756, recently admitting the policy isn't mandatory, but rather just "guidance." Since then, multiple school boards – including those in Hanover, Lafayette, Frankford, Sparta, Lacey, Howell, Colts Neck and Millstone – moved quickly to abolish the policy in its entirety. Howell and Kinnelon voted to repeal the policy most recently. More are likely to do the same.  

"IF this 'now-NOT-mandatory guidance' is just that, then why is Platkin suing parents who voted in support of parental notification?" Piperno said. "We are calling on Platkin to resign for continuing to sue school boards over this controversial mandate, now deemed "guidance," for what can only be purely political reasons."

Last week, the father of three Cherry Hill high school students filed suit against the state over Policy 5756, charging that the state has violated his 14^th Amendment rights to raise his children and make decisions about their mental health. The suit notes that the policy does not require school staff to notify parents of their child's gender identification, and says that schools should keep separate files with different names for trans students and notify parents only when required by law or in some cases involving bullying.

"Gopal believes parents' concerns about gender ed being forced on young children are nothing more than a 'manufactured political message,' and Murphy has said suing school boards was the 'right thing to do' and actually called this overall situation a 'complete culture war,'" Eulner said. "Parents are outraged and concerned deeply about the thought of schools not including them in these critical discussions about THEIR children. And more and more parents are coming to understand that Gopal initiated this entire scheme when he voted in favor of sex ed for children – babies who are just 5, 6 and 7 years old. School boards and parents are rebelling by taking this matter into their own hands. And we believe parents will show up in record numbers on November 7 to let Murphy, Platkin and Gopal know exactly where they stand."

Steve Dnistrian is a first-time candidate running for the NJ state senate in LD-11. The election takes place this November. Visit www.SteveforNJ.com. Paid for by Steve for Senate, Ron Gravino, Treasurer.

Legislative District 11 has been named by national Republicans as one of the state's most competitive races this November. The district encompasses Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, Colts Neck, Deal, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Freehold Borough and Township, Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Long Branch, Neptune City and Township, Ocean, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough and Township and Tinton Falls.

SOURCE www.SteveforNJ.com