OLD BRIDGE – The board of education is standing up for the rights of transgender students.

The board in this Middlesex County town recently voted to “acknowledge” support for a state policy governing how transgender students are treated. The controversial part of the policy reads that a district “shall accept a student’s asserted gender identity; parental consent is not required.”

The board’s vote was close – 4-3 with one abstention and another absent.

In normal times, a public body supporting a policy that already exists would not be “news.”
But these are not normal times when it comes to public education.

The term, “parental rights,” was a big part of the just-concluded legislative elections. Republicans were enthused, convinced that talking about sex ed and “pornographic” books in libraries was a winning strategy.

The GOP talk got the attention of top Democrats. Nicholas Scutari, the Senate President, and Craig Coughlin, the Assembly Speaker, even put out a statement over the summer saying that they, too, believed in parents’ rights.

Now we know, there was no reason for Dems to fret. The Republican momentum proved to be a mirage.

Democrats gained six seats in the Assembly and the Senate remained the same. But the Democrats did beat Republican Ed Durr in LD-3, the truck driver who gained fame in conservative circles in 2021 for beating then-Senate President Steve Sweeney.

With that election fading into history more every day, it’s worth wondering if the parents’ rights issue is still going to be prominent.

That remains to be seen, but let’s get back to Old Bridge.

The state policy in question regarding transgender rights was adopted by school boards back during the tenure of Gov. Chris Christie. Many said they assumed the policy was mandatory.

But in a court case earlier this year about a related issue – a mandate in Hanover Township (Morris County) that staff and teachers identify gay students and notify parents – an attorney for the state said the transgender policy – famously, or infamously, known as 5756 – was not mandatory.

So for some conservative leaning school boards, it became a badge of honor to revoke policy 5657. So there.

Things went differently when the Old Bridge board met about 10 days ago.

There was what has become the usual debate about gender and sex.

The policy is “not hurting anyone,” said one member of the public.

But wait, said another, this is just another sign of “woke” culture in public schools.

During such discussions, some questions tend to be a bit “out there.”

For instance, David Cittadino, the superintendent, reassured the public that, “no,” the school does not transport students to gender affirming surgery centers, nor does it provide students with medication related to gender affirmation.

How about teachers influencing kids to switch gender?

The superintendent said he’s been around about 10 or 11 years and has never heard that complaint. He said he assumed if it happened, he would hear about it.

When he was done speaking, a motion was made by Board Member Jay Slade.

He wanted the board to reaffirm its support for the transgender policy.

There was a brief discussion and then the question was called.

After the vote in favor, many of those still around at a meeting lasting in excess of three hours applauded.

The move drew praise from the New Jersey Public Education Coalition, which was founded to fight “right wing extremism” in public education.

“We encourage other boards to take the same action,” the coalition said.