Supporting LGBTQ+ Students and Staff in Turbulent Times

Host - David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, FEA

Guests - Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director, Garden State Equality and Kate Okeson, Co-Founder, Monmouth Consortium for LGBTQ+ Youth and NJ High School Art Teacher

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Across the nation, a concerted effort is underway to pressure local school districts to reduce or even abandon essential policies, practices, and curricula that are intended to promote a safe and supportive learning environment for LGBTQ+ students. These efforts have the potential to exponentially increase the risk of harm to students. In this episode, participants will learn about the legal requirements to support LGBTQ+ students under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and other state and federal laws; key elements of guidance developed by the New Jersey Department of Education and Attorney General related to supporting transgender students; and the legal consequences and foreseeable dangers related to adopting board policies that require the outing of LGBTQ+ students to parents or guardians.