Grade school kids forced to take DEI surveys without parental consent in blue state school district: watchdog

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Conservative watchdog legal group American First Legal (AFL), says it has achieved a significant "victory" in a New Jersey school district after the U.S. Department of Education deemed the school system to have acted unlawfully by not providing an opt-out option for "equity" and "diversity" surveys handed out to students.

"When we're talking about things like gender identity and other sensitive issues, there is the very real issue of, this is also being used almost as an educational tool, to push these concepts on kids," senior advisor Ian Prior told Fox News Digital in an interview. "So, it's really a dual concern. What are these surveys being used for, as far as data collection, but how are these surveys being used to essentially normalize things that parents and students may have objections to?"

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Students and a classroom. (iStock/Getty)

In Cedar Grove, New Jersey, the local school district distributed surveys on sensitive topics like religion, family income, and gender identity without giving parents a chance to opt out. After parents filed complaints with both the state and federal education departments in mid-2021, the New Jersey Board of Education ruled that the district had violated state law. 

The U.S. Department of Education, however, did not act promptly, leading AFL to file a lawsuit in 2023 to compel the federal agency to investigate.

Prior explained that AFL had created a "parent toolkit" in early 2022 to help parents understand and use the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), a federal law enacted in the 1970s, that ensures that parents have the right to access information about their children's education, that has often been overlooked. 

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Parent Rally (Courtesy of Becket)

The Department of Education later investigated and confirmed that Cedar Grove had indeed violated the PPRA. They have now required the district to comply with the law and provide necessary documentation by September. 

"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," Prior said. "And it's encouraging that our work early on in 2022 is bringing awareness to parents across the country about their rights."

The Cedar Grove School District could not be reached for comment. 

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Parent Rally (Courtesy of Becket)

Parental rights have long been a hot-button issue in the culture war. Last week, a conservative think tank launched an eight-figure effort to highlight VP Kamala Harris’ "extremist" record on parental rights and transgender issues.

Also last week, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California signed into law a controversial mandate that bans schools in the state from being forced to notify parents if their child uses pronouns or a gender identity opposite their biological sex. 

Fox News Digital's Kendall Tietz contributed to this report.