Jeanette Martinez, a New Mexico social worker, has filed a lawsuit against Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) through the Center for American Liberty, claiming that APS policies require her to conceal students' gender transitions from their parents, violating her First Amendment rights to free speech and religious freedom. As part of her job, Martinez communicates with parents about students' needs but feels compelled by her faith to be truthful. The lawsuit centers on APS's Procedural Directive PJ30, which instructs staff to use a student’s preferred name and pronouns internally while using the legal name and birth-assigned gender when communicating with parents unless specified otherwise by the student or parent. Martinez requested a religious accommodation but was denied, facing potential disciplinary action if she continues to refuse compliance.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Jeanette Martinez, a licensed clinical social worker in New Mexico, has filed a lawsuit against Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) through The Center for American Liberty, alleging that the district requires school personnel to conceal students' gender transitions from their parents. Martinez claims this policy violates her First Amendment rights, both to free speech and religious freedom, as she feels it forces her to lie or intentionally withhold information, which goes against her religious beliefs.
Martinez stated in court documents that during a two-hour meeting with a student who expressed a desire to transition genders, APS officials decided immediately on the new name for the child. The lawsuit also mentions training first-grade students about how to interact with peers identifying as the opposite gender, indicating broader policy implications regarding accommodation and support for transgender youth within the district.
Supporting Martinez's narrative, APS is portrayed by Fox News Digital as implementing policies that prioritize student confidentiality over parental knowledge in cases of gender transition, a stance Martinez argues conflicts with her professional ethics and personal faith.
Written for “Gender Transition Controversy” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
A New Mexico social worker is suing Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) over a policy she says requires school personnel to conceal students' gender transitions from their parents.
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she → sue → parents
The Center for American Liberty filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of Jeanette Martinez, a licensed clinical social worker.
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Center → file → Martinez
Martinez said the district is forcing her to keep parents in the dark regarding their children's social gender transitions, violating her First Amendment rights to free speech and religious freedom.
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district → say → speech
Martinez, who has worked as a social worker for more than a decade, supports special-education students at Atrisco Heritage Academy High School.
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who → work → School
Her role requires routine communication with parents regarding academic, behavioral, and special-education needs.
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role → require → needs
As a practicing Christian, Martinez said her deeply held religious convictions prohibit her from lying or intentionally concealing the truth.
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convictions → practice → truth
"There was an incident that I was present for where, within two hours, a student verbally decided he was male and wanted to be female," Martinez told Fox News Digital.
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Martinez → be → Digital
"Within that meeting, a school team decided right then that because he expressed wanting to be the opposite sex, they would go ahead and choose his new name as the opposite sex.
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they → decide → sex
"They even decided how they were going to introduce his new name to his classmates," Martinez added, noting that school officials also discussed training first-grade students on how to interact with a classmate identifying as the opposite gender.
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officials → decide → gender
Under APS Procedural Directive PJ30, staff are instructed to use a student's preferred name and pronouns for internal records, documents and interactions.
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staff → instruct → records
However, when communicating with parents unless the student or parent has specified otherwise, staff are directed to use the student's legal name and the pronoun corresponding to the student's gender assigned at birth.
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staff → communicate → birth
The lawsuit alleges that the rule forces employees into a "conspiracy to lie" when parents ask direct questions about their children.
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parents → allege → children
"My job as a social worker is to bring the family together, not to tear them apart," Martinez told Fox News Digital.
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Martinez → bring → Digital
"To sit there in a parent-teacher conference and try to articulate issues as a mental health provider while participating in that deception is not in the best interest of the student or the family.
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sit → sit → student
In April, Martinez formally requested a religious accommodation that would allow her to communicate truthfully with parents.
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her → request → parents
APS denied the request.
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APS → deny → request
According to the lawsuit, Martinez now faces internal investigation, disciplinary action, or potential termination if she refuses to comply with the directive.
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she → accord → directive
It doesn't work.
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It's unimaginable, to be honest," Martinez said.
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Martinez → say → ?
Martin Salazar told Fox News Digital that the district does not comment on pending litigation.
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district → tell → litigation
However, district guidance notes that the policy is intended to foster a safe learning environment and protect student privacy.
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policy → note → privacy
"We will address the allegations in court, using the appropriate process," Salazar said.
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Salazar → address → process
The Aporia
