old_bridge_NJ_5756_Meeting_20231114_195943.mp4

Council Person Jen [00:00:07] When I was thinking about the policy. I go everywhere as Jen. I don't go as Jennifer, Jennifer is my given name. My mom goes by Pat. Not as Patricia. So if I, if my parents are not getting a phone call because I choose to change my name from Jen to Jennifer. Why would I do that to any other student? My child, when we were talking about this last night, one of our friends goes by a nickname that has nothing to do with his name. They've known him for years. She's like, That's his name? I had no clue, because his name and nothing to do.

Council Person Jen [00:00:45] So when we're asking anyone that we associate, whether it's our friends, our teachers, to call us by a different name, I don't think that warrants a phone call home. So that was my standing on that part as far as when I was reading the policy for a child to go into sports. As far as I know, the children can't do that on their own. That's in the parent portal. So there there's your parental knowledge of it on that.

Council Person Jen [00:01:17] And then when it was talking about bathrooms, any child, who feels unsafe in a bathroom or a locker room has the right to go to a private changing space regardless of what their gender is. If they feel that they want more privacy, things like that.

Council Person Jen [00:01:36] My child is also trying to write their speech and didn't make the cut off. So I'm going to take a moment and read some of this.

Council Person Jen [00:01:44] Hello, I'm ?, I am 15 and I am a non cisgender student in OBHS. I have utililized this policy before and I think it's important to hear from someone who has. I did not use it because my family was unaccepting. In fact. I know they are. They know now and they are effective. I use this policy to make sure I'm comfortable, and sure of myself before coming out to my parents. Teachers and the schools around me will not be in my life forever, but my family will be.

Council Person Jen [00:02:12] Changing my name within this school will not affect my life in a significant way as it will if my family knew.

Council Person Jen [00:02:19] At the time when I used It was not that I was out. I was confirming what I know to be safe within the school walls. The policy not only for the safety but for the growth of our kids. Middle and high school is a time in students to develop independence and find themselves. Making so that parents must know about a child self discovery stunts the growth to the individuals that [they will grow into to] change the world.

Council Person Jen [00:02:42] By repealing this policy is to erode the diversity in Old Bridge schools and the safety in Old Bridge schools. Please don't undo a decade of this policy.

Council Person Jen [00:02:51] So, you know, they went on to say that this has been around since 2014. You know, we had an opportunity to inject what it was before, why it became an issue. Again, I don't know. But this isn't the only topic where we as a society keep saying, wait a minute, we are going backwards. Whether it's race, creed, you know, anything like that.

Council Person Jen [00:03:15] So that's my thoughts on this.

Council Person 3 [00:03:47] I am just going to say that I also agree with Mr. Stynings, who advised the activities section in the use of civilty section in the policy. And there was nothing else for or against it that changed my mind on my previous opinions on the policy except the activities and recent facilities.

Council Person 4 [00:04:08] And I will give you my opinion after the policy is revised. Thank you.

Council Person 1 [00:04:20] I will express again, there's a lot of interpretation of the policies, of how it is read and ... And Chris maybe you can elaborate on some of topics that were discussed within 5756.

Council Person Chris [00:04:38] I can provide you with the perspective as across our state right now, obviously looks a lot like what we saw in the last 2 hours here. There are districts almost contiguous with you that have provided us their policy [on] 5756. It is a stress estimate policy. It is not a state mandate. It is not a state law. It's something that was adopted here in November 2014.

Council Person Chris [00:05:05] Middletown, Marlboro, Manalapan, and Englishtown. All of Monmouth County, all very close to here, all advised. They were met with an injunction from The state attorney general. That case is now before the formal division of civil rights, where the attorney general, Polaris, said that he hopes to have an answer in the next couple of weeks. Now, the Division of Civil Rights does not operate on that kind of a timeframe. The case will linger for a while and we'll see where it goes.

Council Person Chris [00:05:35] The other side of that has been Hanover, which many people spoke about tonight. They also got an injunction Issued against them by the attorney general that allowed Morris County Court rather than Momouth County court. Hanover then after the deputy attorney general acknowledged that 5726 is not Mandated by state law simply repealed it. Holmdel and several other districts have followed suit, and that is a very New Jersey thing in that we have learned, we believe that repealing this policy is legal, but revising it is not.

Council Person Chris [00:06:22] So I cannot recommend that you revise it unless you want to get an injunction in place against the board. We have no finances. This policy has been in place for a while. It is grounded Largely in the Jersey law against discrimination, which was most recently revised in 2021, November 20, 2021.

Council Person Chris [00:06:48] It does speak in terms, as one of two said, that have not been defined by case law yet. This is a nine year old policy that has been tested largely in the last nine months. So the state law against discrimination is unlike the Wisconsin laws that were cited earlier tonight in New Jersey. In New Jersey. And you are strictly as a place of public accommodation forbidden from discriminating against anybody in terms of access by the NJSIAA and state law that require equal access as well. And what that means with regard to Any specific change in this policy simply does not define it. This is a nine page long policy. The general language, which is not owned by any law whatsoever, is that there should be no affirmative duty to notify it now. That seems to be the last issue. That is not grounded in the New Jersey law against discrimination. That is, in theory, within the discretion of the board. Unless you look. At what happened in Marlboro, Manalapan, and Milton.

Council Person Chris [00:08:04] So the legal underpinning of this is that the state of New Jersey right now says that if you revise this policy, it is going to be met with an injunction. That may or may not be the case in Middlesex County. No one in Middlesex County has been has taken that step. ...

Council Person Chris [00:08:24] The provision is a tough one. The repeal of this, should that be the pleasure of the board, appears to be legal this morning. However, removing these nine pieces of paper would not eviscerate the New Jersey law against discrimination or the rules of the New Jersey state and scholastic Employment Association. So it's a difficult position right now.

Council Person Chris [00:08:54] As far as the four changes that you've outlined, three of them, this is to be addressed by state law. So, if we move, places of, forward from junction situation, and yes this order, some executive session discussions. But rather than say after hearing all this public input, what we're talking about those behind closed doors, I think the beginning of this conversation belongs in public, and beyond that, have to answer more questions privately or, you know, right now. But that is where we stand from from the ... perspective. That law against discrimination is what it is. It's new in terms of the law as far as being the November 2021 version and ... anything else I can clarify.

Council Person 1 [00:09:43] We still can go forward because again, everything has to be voted on by the majority. So if it was decided, you can move forward with the revision. Put it on the agenda that we have to have two meetings before? ...

Council Person Chris [00:10:01] Yes, it would take effect the second meeting.

Council Person 1 [00:10:07] The 2nd meeting for a vote?

Council Person Chris [00:10:09] Correct. That's the way our policies work, and all policies work is that, The first. There be a revised policy created and that's the rule of the board it would be on the agenda and kind of acknowledged and discussed. And the second month would be the action on the second. So witll the second reading at which point it could be voted on for adoption.

Council Person 5 [00:10:36] I also wanted to add that when we're talking about Hanover Township, you can open The invoices for their legal representation. I have the invoices here. If anybody would like to see from February, March, April, May, June. I'm still waiting for July. And I have August and waiting for September and October. But they've already spent upwards of $60,000 in defending themselves because of the state lawsuit. So if you think that's a good use of our money, then I absolutely disagree with you. And that money is going to come from programs and things that benefit our kids.

Council Person Jen [00:11:25] That was part of my conversation. What is your question? Not that we can totally prove that by not approving the full healthcare committee to cut our budget. But it seem to coincide the districts and didn't approve the health program didn't get the same funding.

Council Person Jen [00:11:44] We're running at least $25m in state funding, which is about $20 million that we've lost. And the district's done a great job holding the programs we have and not cutting and hate to lose more funding.That would be I don't know ... as Chris's Statement. I didn't keep tally, we had 20 people come up and speak in favor of keeping the policy as is and the 13 that spoke against. And I also count the people that didn't come, to the meeting to speak as being on the part of OK with the policy. So by my count, the majority of Old Bridge would like to keep as as.

Council Person Chris [00:12:45] That concludes the policy committee from here we are going to the TV studio have our agenda meeting. Thank you for coming. Thank you for your input. Have a great day.