TOMS RIVER, NJ – A motion to review a controversial policy related to parental notification of gender issues in public schools was blocked by Toms River School Board, including Michelle Williams, a candidate for Toms River Municipal Council.
Board member Lisa Contessa had proposed a resolution to reconsider Policy 5756, which aligns with Governor Phil Murphy’s directive that parents should not be notified about their children’s gender-related issues without the student’s consent. Contessa sought to have the policy reviewed and potentially revised to give parents more rights in the matter.
When Contessa put forward her motion, she was met with silence. No other board members, including Williams, were willing to second the motion, effectively quashing the proposal.
Policy 5756 outlines that evidence of a student’s gender-related identity may include medical history, consistent and uniform assertion of the identity, and other evidences indicating that the identity is “sincerely held as part of the student’s core identity.”
Public sentiment on the policy is divided. Toms River resident Maria Mitchel questioned why the rights of transgender students and the rights of parents could not both be respected.
Legal counsel for the school board, William Burns, indicated that the existing guidelines were adopted in 2019 and are mandated by state law under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. Burns warned that the board should refrain from revising the policy, citing litigation by the state against other school districts who had challenged similar policies.