The Liberty Justice Center, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, and clinical psychologist Dr. Erica Anderson have jointly filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The brief asks the court to reverse a lower court ruling that would allow a New Jersey school district to keep secrets from parents about their own minor children.
In March 2024, a New Jersey father sued his child’s school district for facilitating a social transition without informing him or securing parental approval. The father argued that by concealing the transition from him, the school had violated his constitutional rights. After a lower court dismissed his case, he appealed the matter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
On July 7, the Liberty Justice Center, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, and Dr. Anderson filed an amicus brief in support of the father’s lawsuit. The brief argues that the district court erred by dismissing the case and asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to reverse that dismissal.
“Schools have a constitutional and ethical obligation to keep parents and guardians informed and involved in decisions impacting their minor children,” said Emily Rae, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center. “Parents have a right to direct their children’s upbringing and education, and studies show repeatedly that parental involvement is key to caring for children experiencing gender incongruence. When schools ice parents out of these decisions, they’re not just on the wrong side of the law—they’re harming their own students.”
The Liberty Justice Center’s amicus brief with the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and Dr. Anderson in Heaps v. Delaware Valley Regional High School Board of Education is available in the legal filings below.
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