Ocean City Council backs ‘parents bill of rights’ as opposition to new curriculum persists | Education | #citycouncil

OCEAN CITY — More than 100 people gathered across from City Hall on Thursday in opposition to state education standards that take effect this year.

With speakers and prayers, parents, religious leaders and some students objected to the standards, particularly to elements related to sexuality and gender.

Sex education has been mandated in New Jersey for decades. The matter sparked widespread controversy in the early 1980s, with many of the arguments today echoing those concerns, primarily that the state was treading on matters that should be left to parents.

In 2020, the state approved the new standards. This year, they have become a center of controversy statewide. In Ocean City, a divided Board of Education voted to accept the standards after lengthy opposition at its meeting in August. After the 6-5 vote by the school board, members of an organization called the Ocean City Alliance for Sensible Education vowed to keep up the pressure, both with the school district and beyond.

That brought the group to the rally Thursday.

Across Ninth Street, City Council was set to vote on a resolution in support of a bill that would create a “Parents Bill of Rights,” giving parents a greater voice in what their children are taught and how. That would include an annual opportunity to review and comment on curriculum and to opt their children out of lessons they deem inappropriate.

Council unanimously approved the resolution Thursday after a discussion.

Council members said they were not attacking the school district or the teachers. Council member Tom Rotondi said he asked that the resolution be put on the agenda.

“I know our schools in Ocean City are amazing. I know the teachers in Ocean City are great as well,” he said. He said he had received calls and emails suggesting he was attacking the school district with the resolution.

“It seems there could be a political agenda,” Rotondi said.

Council member Bob Barr, participating in the meeting remotely, said he disagrees with the standards, saying they call for material to be taught to children at too young an age.

“We live in America,” he said. If parents want their children to learn the material, they can have them attend the classes, and other parents can choose to opt out.

Matthew Friedman, who started as Ocean City’s superintendent of schools this summer, addressed council at the start of the meeting.

He promised the district would consider local sensibilities in enacting the state standards, and allow an easy process for parents and guardians to opt the students out of the lessons. The district will implement the standards in as minimal way as possible, he said.

He did not oppose the council’s vote.

“It was refreshing to see, everything that was asked in this bill of rights, we do as a district,” he said. Friedman also said he has decided to post the schools’ curriculum to the district website.

Friedman also plans to host community meetings Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with parents in each of the three district schools, starting at the Primary School at 6 p.m., then the Intermediate School and finally at the High School.

Before the meeting, speakers used a bullhorn to criticize the approved education standards, with some blaming Gov. Phil Murphy and the “Deep State” for threatening social stability and instilling immoral ideas.

The focus was on elements of the standards covering sexuality and gender, especially the inclusion of material on gender fluidity. Other speakers said students would be taught too much, too soon, alleging second graders would be learning about specific sexual acts.

It’s too much, said Danna Ramirez, a 10th grade student from Sea Isle City who attended the rally directly following athletic practice. She said she has a sibling in the Primary School and those students are being presented with inappropriate material.

“It’s not OK. They are just learning multiplication and division. They should not be learning this. It is not the age. It is not the right time. It is not right for them to be learning this,” she said.

According to school officials, the local curriculum based on the new state standards is still being prepared and will not reach classrooms in any school in the district for months, probably not until 2023.

The standards cover a range of topics, including suicide prevention, drug and alcohol abuse, nutrition, fitness and disease prevention. Within the standards related to sexuality, there are also elements with broad agreement statewide, including material on preventing abuse, whether psychological, physical or sexual.

Gender identity is discussed in the second grade, with puberty and masturbation covered in fifth grade and the types of sexual intercourse by the end of eighth grade. The standards call for students to feel part of the community and to understand gender identity and sexual orientation.

“All individuals should feel welcome and included regardless of their gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation,” read the standards.

Last year, the Ocean City School District faced allegations of bullying and abuse at the high school, including allegations of bullying against gay students. District officials said at the time that the district reached out to police to review the online petition that raised the concerns, which also included allegations of sexual assault.

Resident John Henry said the material will confuse children about gender.

“Second graders don’t need to discuss the range or ways that people express gender,” Henry said. He said suicide rates and attempts at suicide for those with gender dysphoria are very high. I don’t think we should ignore that, but trying to get more people confused is not the way to solve that problem.”

He added that the option to opt out could subject students to bullying, and alleged that parents who oppose the standards have been painted as extremists.

Resident Linda Carnuccio spoke about the materials that will be used in the classrooms, describing a cartoon drawing that will be presented showing anal sex, vaginal sex and oral sex.

“I think we’re losing our sense of morality and we’re losing our sense of wisdom, wisdom for our children,” she said.

Friedman said he had not heard of the material Carnuccio mentioned, and added that Ocean City schools would not rely on books and other material recommended by the state Department of Education in the standards.

Ocean City was founded as a religious resort, and faith remains a public part of the community. That includes council meetings, which are routinely started with a prayer after the Pledge of Allegiance.

“We seek a special blessing over our educators in these controversial times, that they will work together with the parents to develop a curriculum with the health and well-being of our youth at the forefront,” said Council member Karen Bergman. “In your son’s name, we pray.”