Children as young as 8 must take surveys in blue state schools without parent permission
Conservative watchdog legal group American First Legal (AFL) recently celebrated a significant victory in a New Jersey school district where the U.S. Department of Education found the school system guilty of acting unlawfully by failing to provide an opt-out option for “equity” and “diversity” surveys distributed to students. This victory comes after a long battle fought by concerned parents in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.
In Cedar Grove, the local school district distributed surveys covering sensitive topics such as religion, family income, and gender identity without offering parents the opportunity to opt-out. This action prompted parents to file complaints with both state and federal education departments in mid-2021. Subsequently, the New Jersey Board of Education ruled that the district had violated state law.
Despite the ruling at the state level, the U.S. Department of Education did not take immediate action, prompting AFL to file a lawsuit in 2023 to compel the federal agency to investigate the matter. AFL had previously created a “parent toolkit” in early 2022 to educate parents about the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), a federal law from the 1970s that guarantees parents the right to access information about their children’s education.
After AFL’s lawsuit, the Department of Education conducted an investigation and confirmed that Cedar Grove had indeed violated the PPRA. The district is now required to comply with the law and provide necessary documentation by September as per the federal mandate.
Executive Director of American First Legal, Stephen Prior, expressed his thoughts on this development, “I think it also shows the power of this law that has largely gone unused for decades, and that it is a way, for instance, to enforce their rights against these school systems that are doing everything they can to hide information from parents. And it’s encouraging that our work early on in 2022 is bringing awareness to parents across the country about their rights.”
Despite multiple attempts to reach out to the Cedar Grove School District for comment, they could not be reached for a response on the matter.
In recent times, parental rights have become a contentious subject in the ongoing culture war. Last week, a conservative think tank launched a significant effort to shed light on Vice President Kamala Harris’ record on parental rights and transgender issues, citing concerns about her perceived extremist views.
Adding fuel to this fiery debate, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed a controversial mandate into law that prohibits schools in the state from notifying parents if their child uses pronouns or identifies with a gender different from their biological sex. This move has sparked intense discussions and raised questions about the boundaries of parental involvement in their children’s education.
