Center For American Liberty Backs Middletown In Transgender Battle

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A national group that says it fights for the freedom of American citizens just joined Middletown's fight with the state of New Jersey on the issue of transgender students.

The group is the Center for American Liberty; they filed as an amicus curiae status ("friend of") on behalf of Middletown this January, school board vice president Jacqueline Tobacco informed the public at the most recent school board meeting, held last Tuesday night.

NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin has not dropped the three lawsuits he filed last June against Middletown, Marlboro and Manalapan school districts, for policies Platkin argues "out" transgender students to their parents, who may not know their son or daughter is transitioning in school.

An amicus curiae is defined as "a person or group who is not a party to a (legal) action, but has a strong interest in the matter." They usually petition the court to rule in favor of one party or the other. In this case, the Center for American Liberty is arguing in defense of the Middletown school district.

Harmeet Dhillon is the founder of the Center for American Liberty, and she filed the amicus brief through her law firm Dhillon Law Group.

"Dhillon Law Group’s brief was accepted by the court," said Tobacco last Tuesday.

Dhillon frequently appears on Fox News; she's been interviewed by now-fired FOX host Tucker Carlson. Her law firm has filed similar amicus briefs on behalf of a reporter suing White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and in defense of a Christian group in California that was forbidden by Gov. Gavin Newsom to assemble for worship during COVID-19 lockdowns.

2 NJ Republican lawmakers filed on Middletown's behalf last year

In August, two New Jersey Republican lawmakers also filed as amicus "intervenor" status on behalf of the Middletown school district.

The state Senators are Doug Steinhardt, who represents Hunterdon and Warren counties, and Michael Testa, Jr., from Vineland. Both are Republican; both are lawyers. They asked to be included in any court-ordered mediation or hearings on the matter.

"At stake in this litigation are the collective rights of all New Jersey parents to direct their children’s upbringing, as well as to counsel their children on intimate personal matters," read their amicus brief. "Make no mistake, the state is seeking to usurp the role of parents. The Senators will assist this tribunal by providing the perspective of hundreds of thousands of ordinary New Jerseyans, and by reminding the panel of this nation’s long history of respecting the American family."

Here's the latest as of last week on Middletown's legal battle with the state of New Jersey on the issue of transgender students:

Insurance Pays Middletown's Legal Fees In Transgender Battle (Feb. 1)