well many of the same Advocates on both sides of that debate also made an appearance at a court hearing today for Hanover Township where a controversial policy requiring teachers to disclose a student's gender identity and sexual orientation to parents has become a heated legal battle the school district and state attorney general's office today argued their sides as the policy remains blocked for violating a state law earlier this summer senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan was in the court and has the latest another Court battle over parental notification this one focused on whether Hanover can Implement its newly revised policy the school board's attorney argued it should because this one doesn't specifically single out lgbtq students but it does let School staff consider sexual orientation or gender identity among other reasons to notify parents if they think it has an adverse impact outside the courtroom parents rights proponents agreed the school's an agent of the parents we pay taxes they're supposed to serve us any kind of stress or anxiety or depression that that kid might be going through or troubles they have to report it attorney Matthew giacobi told the court parents are notified if a teacher school psychologist or principal determined a child is suffering it treats all children equally across the board no child is singled out or picked on but the state vigorously opposed Hanover's argument and its revised policy calling it a repackaged version that's trying to clean up some of the language they fear it could cause lgbtq kids irreparable harm because it still permits parental notification at least partially based on a protected characteristic their gender and sexuality the law against discrimination says it can't be part of the determination at all even if it's 10 percent of the reason why you do it a five percent Advocate Mike goddessman says Morris County Judge Stuart minkowitz drilled down on the revised policies trigger for Parental notification Hanover's attorney argued it isn't arbitrary you have to show adverse impact but judge minkowicz shot back adverse impact is in the eye of the beholder it's very subjective it means different things to different people um and it there's the potential for abuse the judge appeared a specialty concern policies mandatory report requirement menkowitz noted the teach acquired under penalty of being disciplined to notify the parent adding this policy invites government interference in the relationship with the parent and child giacobi argued back it's only mandating it if the teacher believes the kid is adversely impacted if there's no adverse impact there's no notification again parental rights Advocates claimed we want the parent involved and even with the case of transgender students we hear so often that they're depressed they're suicidal who better than parents to be on the front lines to include them in the process to let them know what's going on but the state rebutted that argument arguing it's trying to prevent harm to that small subset of students questioning their lgbtq status at school and at home and don't want it reported judge minkowitz expressed concern for students staff and parents and I think the Judge is leaning in the direction of recognizing the fact that any one of those people can be irreparably harmed if the policy is allowed to go into effect effect Jersey's culture War over parental rights first caught fire in Hanover back in May with its initial notification policy that outed lgbtq kids based solely on gender ID and sexual orientation Jersey's division on civil rights sued it's headed for a hearing similar policies passed by other districts are on legal hold as Court battles continue the judge says he'll have a decision within a couple of weeks meanwhile the restraining order barring Hanover from implementing its revised policy remains in effect in Morristown I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight news [Music]