Chatham Schools Drop Gender Secrecy Policy In Moms For Liberty Federal Lawsuit Settlement
The School District of the Chathams Board of Education voted 7-0 on Monday, Oct. 12, to approve a settlement barring the district from reinstating the policy or adopting a substantially similar one, the New Jersey Globe reports.
The agreement, filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday, Oct. 15, ends a lawsuit filed in August by the conservative Thomas More Society on behalf of Moms for Liberty, an organization founded in 2021 that advocates for parental rights.
At the close of the Oct. 12 board meeting, district officials announced that an agreement had been reached to end the litigation. The settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing or liability by board members, administrators or staff, officials stressed.
The district also maintained that it has always followed the Constitution and remains committed to complying with applicable state and federal laws. Under the settlement, Moms for Liberty withdrew its complaint, and the district did not pay the opposing side's legal fees or any other compensation. The district did, however, incur its own legal expenses
Moms for Liberty describes its mission on its website: "We are dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government."
During the meeting, Jill Critchley-Weber raised concerns about the financial toll of lawsuits and threats against the district, saying neither the security company nor the law firm had submitted bills for September: "These lawsuits aren't cheap, these death threats aren't cheap. Every time we get a death threat we have to hire security, it's not cheap."