Hunterdon County School District finds itself in Federal Court
We recently joined fellow family policy councils in filing an amicus brief through our national alliance to support a New Jersey father whose daughter was socially transitioned at school without his knowledge, under a deliberate policy of deception by school employees regarding her identity.
In this case, Plaintiff-Appellant Chris Heaps is challenging the Delaware Valley Regional High School Board of Education’s Policy 5756 – Transgender Student Guidelines – that concealed his daughter’s gender transition from him, despite her ongoing treatment for depression, anxiety, and gender confusion.
After confiding in a school employee, staff began socially transitioning his daughter using a masculine name and pronouns, while continuing to use her legal name and female pronouns when speaking with Chris—effectively hiding the transition, per district policy.
Upon discovering the concealment months later, Chris requested that the school cease the transition and placed his daughter in home instruction. Although the district approved this arrangement, it insisted on continuing to use male identifiers, prompting Chris to file a lawsuit asserting his fundamental parental rights.
There’s encouraging news: Chris’s daughter no longer wishes to transition. What she experienced was a temporary phase—one that ended after Chris withdrew her from classroom instruction and opted for home education. In that supportive environment, her confusion subsided. Now, Chris seeks assurance that his parental rights will be upheld should he choose to reintegrate his daughter into the public-school classroom.
It’s deeply troubling when parents in New Jersey fear sending their children into schools that increasingly resemble state-controlled institutions—shaped not by transparency and collaboration, but by the influence of radical left-wing organizations and the powerful NJEA.
The July 16th episode of NJ Spotlight News featured the case against Delaware Valley Regional High School’s policy on gender transition concealment.
With the Governor’s office and the entire State Assembly up for election, voters have a crucial opportunity to help shape the future of our state. This moment invites a clear choice—to champion transparency in education and healthcare, safeguard children, and uphold the essential rights of parents in the decisions that matter most.
I urge you to begin conversations with your friends and family about the critical stakes of this election—especially how it will affect children and parents. New Jersey needs a governor who will restore common sense to our school policies by appointing a Commissioner of Education who values parental authority and honors their God-given, constitutionally protected right to raise their children according to their beliefs.
