(CNSNews.com) - A new law in New Jersey requires public schools to get parents' permission before surveying students about their personal lives.
According to a report in Monday's Washington Times, the state law stems from a controversy that erupted in 1999, when a survey distributed to middle- and high-school students in Ridgewood asked the kids about their sex partners, suicide attempts, drug use and criminal history.
Conservatives quoted in the article call the New Jersey law a victory for parents. Federal law already requires parents to give written permission before their children take surveys conducted with federal funds. The New Jersey law applies the same principle to any public school survey, regardless of where the survey money comes from.