okay it is 7 o'clock so I'm going to call Call the meeting to order In compliance with the open public meetings law of New Jersey notice of this April 8th 2025 meeting of the Bridgewater Radaran Regional Board of Education was posted electronically on the district website and provided on January 8th 2025
by sending an annual written notice to the Courier News Star ledger Bridgewater Township Clerk Raren Burough Clerk and by posting on the bulletin board in the Harmony V Wade administration building Please join me in the pledge of allegiance To the flag of the United States of
America and to the rep for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all Mr Lumsky could you please call the role mr Lee Miss Hassuna here Mr Jooshi here Miss
Lan here Miss Lee Mr Pepe here Mr Walker here Miss Kalistri here Mr Singer here Uh is there a superhance report today okay then we're going to head straight to our student
representative report You're up Okay Uh good evening everybody So um the first thing I have for today was that the fourth marking period started yesterday and we are all looking forward to spring break next week Um and on March 28th just recently there
was the we held BRHS held the NFL Pro um uh versus Bridgewwater basketball game And this was where NFL pros including Reggie Brown Kareem Huggin Darien Barnes and Yavon Parker um along with NBA player Horus Jenkins um attended and
they would play seven short like eight-minute games against various teams um including our unified basketball team um against the BR the Bridgewater Police Department um and just groups of other high school students It was just a very good turnout I was actually a referee
for these games So that was fun Um and it really was a great way to just bring the younger kids in and all of these like intermediate level students were getting pictures and autographs from these players and it was just a great way for the like uh community to come together And now I have a lot we've had
many recent um accomplishments in both our visual and performing arts departments recently So um last Thursday Friday and Saturday the Bridgewwater theater department presented the spring musical Foot Loose And so this was an excellent production Um all three nights
there was an amazing turnout and um this was also the first time we added a matinea So we had four shows this year instead of three And um because of this many senior citizens were able to attend the show and so that was just a great thing We looking at we're looking to do that in the future as well Um also the
orchestra trip to Boston this weekend went very well Um our high school symphonic orchestra competed at uh the University of Massachusetts Amherst and they got to be a part of a Sorry Hello Is that better okay Sorry
Um okay So as I was saying our symphonic orchestra got to compete um and uh be part of a clinic with the University of Massachusetts Amherst for their amazing art artwork Additionally sophomore Luchia Bull um won the 2025 NJ visual
student art achievement award which is a governor's um award in in art education She's also received two medals in the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her works titled Hello World and Sorrow: The Weight of Water Both of these pieces received gold medals and
they she also earned the New York Life Award which awarded her a $2,500 scholarship And so we are looking forward to see Lucia's work as well as the work of many other art talented artists at the BRHS fine arts festival which will be held on May
22nd Okay Finally um the spring sports have begun and they are underway and um all BHS teams are looking to have a successful season Our girls lacrosse team is currently undefeated so far They have a game today so I don't know how that went but and junior Giana Kadenzaro
scored her 100th goal um at their game against Philipsburg last week Additionally our girls discus relay team broke a school record So um senior Emily Leopard senior Madison Madison Delia and sophomore Maline Corbett threw a total of 308.6 feet at a Skyland County relay
on Saturday And that's all I have for today Thank you so much I know that was a lot Uh as always you're welcome to stay and uh we appreciate your insights but we also understand that this is the week before exam uh before break so we might have some exams this week So thank you
again You too That said good night Uh we are up to uh the president's report I do not have much of a report Um I just want to echo what our student representative said Uh March is a very busy month for our arts programs and uh
I think everything went uh very well and uh I I love seeing all of it We have immensely talented students um throughout the district and just getting the opportunity to see them perform or or display their their amazing art is is
always a joy Uh and we'll talk more about that later on during the Raridan uh report I believe Uh so I don't have any further report So we're going to head straight to the committee reports Up first is the academic committee with Mr Jooshi Yes Okay So the committee met uh yesterday April 7th at 5:00 Uh in
attendance were myself Mr Suna Mr Pepe Mr Singer Dr Jones Mr Morello and Mr Beers Uh first on the agenda was the policy review uh policy uh number 5120
uh the assignment of students uh 5130 and 5130 regulation uh that is withdrawal from school uh were reviewed and no changes are recommended at this time Item two on the agenda was the updates
of the gifted and talented um K through 8 and uh 9 through 12 uh enrollment Mr Morello and Dr Jones reviewed uh the 2025 um 26 projected enrollment for the
gifted and talented AP and dual enrollment programs Um this was a a very comprehensive review that um was conducted Uh additionally a four-year enrollment summary was reviewed as well Uh this comprehensive uh summary
demonstrated uh growth across all grade uh levels In grade 2 to four the shift was from 12% to 18% um over four years In grades five the shift was uh 33% to
37% and the predicted shift in AP enrollment for juniors and seniors was from 46.1% to 57.6% Um the committee also um reminded that um the current school performance report on the department of education
New Jersey department of education website uses data from 2023 2024 school year Um and we adjourned at 610 Uh our next meeting is May 5th The only thing I want to add to that is
that uh if anyone wants to see the data that Mr Mariela went over it is under the committee uh agenda for uh this week uh for academics So that those numbers are in further detail in that Thank you Mr Josh
Yeah thank you Uh we're up to community relations with Miss Luckland Um we have not met this past month and uh a date has not been determined Thank you Mrs Lockman We're up next Finance facilities and transportation
with Mr Walker We rescheduled our meeting to April 15th 5:30 Kevin yes Okay 5:30 Jeremy does that work for you great Thank you Sorry about that It was the last minute to change that And then we are up to personnel
committee with Mrs Kistri The committee met on March 25th at 5:00 pm virtually In attendance was myself Mr Jooshi Miss Lee Mr Singer Dr Fonder and Mr Beers We started out by discussing the personnel agenda The committee discussed the personnel agenda items and
the committee supported the action items Next we review the staff evaluation update Uh Dr Aana reviewed the state requirements and district procedures related to the evaluation of certificated staff No action were taken on that item Uh next we discussed recruitment
and job fairs Dr Fonder reviewed the district's recruitment efforts including opening up the district to student teachers and interns participating in pre-p profofessional opportunities with our college and university partners as well as participating in multiple job fairs The committee supported the district's recruitment efforts efforts
Next we discussed the comprehensive equity plan Dr Funer reviewed progress with the comprehensive equity plan needs assessment as well as the timeline for the plan to be developed At this time no action was taken The committee then discussed the upcoming reappoint of staff in late April and disc and
discussed the role of the personnel committee Uh we adjourned at 6:12 and our next meeting is now um April 22nd I don't have any minutes uh April 22nd virtually at 6:15 5:15 that's the other
one Yep 5:15 Thank you Miss Kri Are there any leazison on delegate reports mr Pepe Yes uh from the burrow of Ridan at its April 1st meeting the uh Raridan Burough Council honored uh a high school senior Anna say resident of Ridan for
the incredible mural that she uh and she and her fellow members of the National Arts Honor Society spent a lot of time um preparing and painting at at John F Kennedy School in Raridan The official commenation was for uh her exceptional
mural of and pride for her hometown Uh so congratulations to uh Anna for that and thank you for the uh to to the mayor and council for honoring our students and keeping up with our schools Very much appreciated and thank you Mr Singer for coming out as well and joining us
there for that happy event It was my pleasure Are there any other leazison reports just a reminder for the Somerset County Schoolboard Association we have the teacher of the year and milestone celebration dinner at Somerset County
Votech on May 8th at 6 PM Thank you Mrs Any other on reports Seeing none we're going to be we're up to our public comment period Individuals in or groups are invited to present their concerns comments and
requests to the board of education at this time on any matters In accordance with board policy members of the well as we have uh many members of the public in attendance tonight and want to ensure that all have the opportunity to speak as we did at the last meeting public comment will be limited to two
minutes per person pursuant to policy 0167 Uh in future board meetings if there is a large audience wishing to speak the total public comment period may be limited to one hour in order for the board to attend to board business in a timely manner For those that have not been to board meetings before I just want to take this opportunity to remind
that this is uh the opportunity for the community to speak to the board This is not a back and forth or a question and answer period Board members will not be responding to questions raised during public comment The purpose of public public comment is for the public to share their views with the board and the
comments and questions raised will be taken under advisement by the board Naturally members of the public are also welcome to share their concerns and insights with the board via email We have received a number of those and we understand that people come to comment about issues that are important to them We ask that all act with the civility
and etiquette that we model for our children While we are all free to disagree all speakers should be treated with decorum and respect Finally please sign in and before you speak provide your name and municipality of the residents for the record Also please be advised that a
video recording of this meeting will be posted on the district's website Thank you Good evening My name is Valerie Sylvester I am a Bridgewater resident of um 18 years I have three children at
Hillside School and I'm uh my talk is regarding policy 5756 Um I would like to repeal that regarding the following Hello Hello Okay talk a little bit louder Parents
are the first and most important support system for our child Again this is regarding policy 5756 I would like to call for repeal Parents are the first and most important support system for our child uh our children Just because a
parent may not immediately understand or agree with their child's gender identity does not mean that they are acting abusive or unloving Meaning it is not okay for any school staff to tell
students this quote from policy 565 5756 There is no affirmative duty for any school district staff member to notify a student's parents of the students gender identity or expression End quote Out of the fear and assumption
that your parent will not understand and they will abuse you they will kick you out and may possibly disown you By practicing policy 5756 school staff are leading students to keep secrets from their parents and
placing unnecessary fear in the minds of the students minds about their parents Their parents are the people that are supposed to protect and support them throughout their entire lives unconditionally So to say to a child your parents will
not get a call or email regarding your gender because they may not love you anymore They may physically harm you or they may disown you This is verbally and mentally abusive in
itself Therefore I believe that policy 5750 should be repealed Thank you And I will remind the audience that I will talk to the speaker I don't need other people to chime Thanks
Hi Jeff Mcnal from Raritton I watched the uh board of education meeting online and uh for some reason there's they're missing too So I wanted to just bring that up Um but when it comes to young adults wanting to make
permanent life-changing decisions since when do we take a child's decision over our own common sense these cases should be handled on an individual basis where the parent is included The family is as a unit is the center of life Instead
policy 5756 makes the child the center of everything while excluding the family This is wrong The practice will surely cause discipline issues for the students the classroom and for the school The school is supposed to teach the basics Let's concentrate our efforts on better
grades more high functioning graduates that can read write and have the skills needed for their own advancement I realize it takes a village to raise our children but schools having too much power over our kids is not the answer It is a psychological fact that shared by
the medical community that human brain continues to develop and mature well into the mid20s The prefrontal cortex portion of the brain is one of the last areas to fully mature playing a crucial role in complex congenative functions like planning decision making and
impulse control Gender affirming should not be done during the school years but as in a grown adult let them grow up and figure out what works for them and what doesn't I've seen broken families with kids that came out okay but to use that as a reason to
take parents out of the equation is unacceptable as is the suicidal ideiation excuse I don't want to see anyone give up School let me down when I was a kid and I don't want any kid that's misunderstood to be left behind But this policy is not the answer I feel
surely it can also lead to serious consequences if boys play in girls sports This is a rabbit hole we need to fill before someone gets seriously hurt Bridgewater Raritin is a very diverse community We don't need someone in Trenton to tell us how to live or how to
parent That is your time Appreciate it Thank you Hi everybody I'm Laura Crest I'm the president of the Bridgewater Raritan Education Association and um I represent very we have 1100 people I represent different points of view So I'm not here
to discuss my point of view or speaking on behalf of other members but some thoughts Um I've sat through the last meeting I didn't say a word and I was wondering why this is coming up five years after the Christy administration made it part of the school code or law
that we're obligated to follow Um I kind of know why what's going on with some of the board behind closed doors but that's for them to deal with And the facts I did some research and the facts as I understand them are right now in our
district there are three students at the high school that identify as transgender Their parents know they're not interested in playing sports One of them got beaten up for using the bathroom of their birth gender And so now they use
the single stall where you need a key to get into the genderneutral bathroom are So I I want to make this clear right so staff legally are mandated reporters So any student and I don't care if they're
green yellow purple whatever their issue is who tells one of us they are in danger or afraid to go home we are not allowed to call the parents It's on our safe school training Okay we must call child
protective services or we are held liable So we I think should be following the law as it's written and then when it changes we will follow whatever it changes to because I believe in following the law Okay This and believe
it or not this issue is not on the staff's radar But I will tell you what is The board has three contracts to settle the staff would really like the board and community to come together to discuss some of the major issues we have in our schools Sue our vice president's
going to finish Thank you Miss Chris I'm just going to repeat I think what Laura said The staff would really like the board and community to come together to discuss what the problems are in our schools Kids moving in that are far below grade level and some
homegrown Let's remember due to lower enrollment and financial concerns our class sizes are larger We know temporarily but they are larger and we need to catch kids up and teach our curriculum at the same time Bad behaviors are increasing at an alarming
rate both in degree and numbers destroying bathrooms at primary all the way up to high school A major lack of respect towards all staff Two teachers recently were injured um this week breaking up fights um being punched and
bitten with fewer staff available for duties Um the bathrooms are not monitored often Hallways are not monitored as well Many students take advantage of this Student behavior is not just an administration concern nor is it just the staff's concern It is a
parental and community concern We need to help our students as a community Let's pull together Thank you Thank you Good evening everyone My name is Ruby Ling I'm the Bridgewater mom of the two
young children I just want to response what the lady just said about this policy have been here five years but we don't have this policy five years ago So it doesn't means that we have this policy So we need to keep this policy forever And now just three children in
high school are transgender It doesn't means in the future they won't be any trans transgender student So tonight I urge you to support it repeal First parental right This policy let school withhold the children gender identity
for parents That troubles me Think about it My schoolers just call me because my son just b his head in g class and we all just got the kids spring matt reports right But the school notify us
when kids are sick fail the class or get into the fight But when it comes to something as significant permanent and a potential life change and the gender identity the policy say I don't have a right to know It doesn't really make
sense to me At the last meeting I was heartbroken to hear that some children feel they can't trust their parents and need a school to pretend that and my heart broke But the parents are not the enemy We may not always understand everything right away but we love our
children We want the best for them Just because there's a disagreement it doesn't means there's abuse Children need a time and the space to figure out who they are And the parents should be in part of their journey especially
through a sensitive issue like identity We should be part of the process not let in the dark We all have the moment We always have a disagree with our kids It doesn't means they are in danger being mistreated The really harm comes when the we assume that a parents
disagreement automatically create a hostile environment We are the ones raising them The ones who give the birth feed their tackle at night holding when they are sad and chilling on their games So tonight please consider support your
time Thank you [Applause] Uh my name is Joyce Ling I'm a Bridgewater residence and my son went through Bridgewater High School and fortunately decades ago the the academic
environment was very good So he got into MIT at junior year Okay I'm here tonight strongly support the repeal of the policy 56 5756 The policy permits the biological male to access girls bathroom locker room placing female student in very
vulnerable situation and strip them of their right to their privacy It also created a very unfair condition in girls sports where undeniable but biological differences affect the strength the speed and the performance potentially
were leading not only to the loss opportunity for the girls but also some physical arm as many cases already demonstrate that Okay But the most dangerous thing is this policy that a form a child's the new gender identity without the informing the parents that
break the sacred bond between parent and child It divides the family encourages secrecy and replace trust with suspicion Children should not be led through that deeply personal decision behind their parents' back That's not protection
That's a betrayal It reminds me of the China's cultural revolution of 1966 that replaced family bond with the state loyalty turning household into the battleground of ideology and suspicion It redefined personal identity in
collective political terms often at the expense of love trust and family unity In this time our education system is falling apart falling so behind among the world's advanced country Okay Then they are spending their time teaching
their children to do academically well Now we are spending our time talking about this bundago Okay And the school should focus on learning teaching kids how to be civil how to do math how to be reading Okay Know
everything about civil about how the government not about how you going to change your your identity that belongs to the family belongs to the parents Okay Thank you [Applause] Good evening I'm Joan Depala I'm here to
read a letter from Chelsea Decker who couldn't be here Dear board members parents and attendees as a mother of two children in Bridgewater schools I would like to respectively urge the school board to maintain a clear focus on
academic achievement by prioritizing core subjects such as reading writing mathematics and science While topics related to gender identity are important and deserving of thoughtful discussion they are also deeply personal and best navigated within the family unit
according to individual values and beliefs I believe the classroom should remain a place where all students can thrive academically free from the distraction of ideological content that may not align with every family's perspective As a licensed professional
counselor who is welcoming of all people I believe that there is a middle ground where everyone can feel safe protected and informed Keeping parents in the dark about their children is not an appropriate way to engage or teach young adults who are just learning to navigate
complex social situations and interactions in the world In this day and age of social media with constant access to misinformation and difficulty deliating between truth and fiction school should not be duplicious As a
parent I should not have to concern myself with what is happening in the locker room and behind closed office doors This policy further divides the public by having schools keep secrets from minors If safety is a concern for a child coming out as a gay transgendered
then par parameters for safety planning should be set parameters should be set in place This is incredibly specific to each person and having a blanket policy that allows information to be kept from parents is inappropriate Sending the wrong message to our kids and hurting
everyone more than it helps I believe wholeheartedly that we can and need to do better for children parents teachers Hello my My name is John Martinez and my name is Shiovani Swarnikar All of us up here are representing the high school robotics team We would like to start by
saying that we don't see the value in this being a debate and that this discussion is very cut and dry There is absolutely no tangible evidence or reasoning to support the removal of policy 5756 As all regulations within the policy are mandated by New Jersey law and in service of creating a good
faith environment for uh students to feel supported and seen Despite this there are people in this district that feel the need to argue against policy 5756 On behalf of Team 303 Robotics we strongly disagree with this viewpoint and would like to take this time to discuss our personal commitment to
inclusivity and the impact it has had on our community Charlie Schultz was a member of our team who embodied this district's values of inclusivity and celebration of LGBTQ plus identities A few years ago this community tragically lost Charlie to
suicide To celebrate Charlie's life and uphold his work our team created an initiative called I am Valid The initiative celebrates mental health awareness and inclusivity within our district To spread Charlie's message we hand out I am Valid postcards at our robotics
competitions Recently the team even received a message expressing gratitude for the initiative as it helped a transgender student who was not out yet feel accepted Many students in the district struggle with exploring their identity which is why policy 5756 must
be present to provide staff with the direction to help these individuals in a safe and constructive manner At the end of the day abolishing policy 5756 accomplishes nothing New Jersey law will continue to mandate everything laid out in support of students that are transgender The proceedings that have
happened around the livelihoods of transgender students are a gross misuse of the board's time and only serve to scare and intimidate an already vulnerable group of students If we continue to allow hate in our district we will only have more tragedies Like Charlie Schultz famously said everything
is valid except for bullying invalidity and pineapple on pizza Thank you [Applause]
Hi my name is Brian Schae and uh my I live in Bridgewwater and my son's a student at the Bridgewater Ron High School in VOTE I work in the uh New Jersey child welfare system Um I work for courtappointed special advocates in Middle Sex County I deal every day with
the division of child permanency and protection I deal with DCF I deal with care management organizations I deal with family court every single day Confidentiality and even secrecy are absolutely common in the child welfare system They are
non-negotiable People are constantly wondering what they what they can even talk about to one another because confidentiality and secrecy are so important Yesterday I was at the uh organization that coordinates uh domestic violence victim support for
Middle Sex County and they have a shelter uh that they won't give the address to and that's because uh mostly women take their children there to escape um abusive spouses and if they told the spouse where the shelter was they might show up seeking retribution That is an
individual who is not permitted to know where his children are and that is perfectly allowable by law It is in it is in fact necessary Um I have 22 cases on my roster right now If you've seen an
episode of SVU I've got it right now Um there are parents who are forbidden by law because of criminal allegations pending against them to have any contact whatsoever with their children the case that you are describing the person who mentioned mandatory report before is is exactly right The case the
only case in which this uh statute applies is if a child comes to a teacher and says either I don't want you to tell my father this my mother this because I am scared of what they will do to me or if they just say please please please
please please don't tell That's the kind of signal that a teacher is supposed to identify as a possible suspicion of abuse And the teacher in fact would have a much more difficult time deciding whether or not to put the child at risk
by calling DCF Thank you Mr Shaw Good evening everyone My name is Fabola Cruz I'm here today to address concerns regarding policy 5756 Specifically under student- centered approach where it states the school shall accept a student's gender identity without parental consent
Parents are essential to their child's mental and emotional well-being Creating an environment where children are encouraged to hide things from their parents is neither psychologically healthy nor conductive to emotional well-being Every child should be supported and heard But these are complex and deeply personal matters that
belong in the family not at school And while I have respect for educators trying to do the right thing they're not medical health care professionals The fact of the matter is schools should be neutral and provide support and understanding for all children We also need to be mindful and fair to all
families in different beliefs As you know Bridgewater is completely uh has a lot of diversity and we should also account for their families Furthermore there are existing laws that protect children from abuse along with NJAD which safeguards transgender youth in
schools However NJAD does not override parental rights It does not regulate a family's personal opinions or belief unless abuse or neglect is involved A parent simply expressing disagreement or taking their time to understand is not automatically discriminatory or abuse We
still don't fully understand the long-term effects of gender affirming care especially for minors Numerous studies from Europe including Sweden the UK and Finland show a growing concern and caution regarding these treatments including insufficient data of risks and
the long-term effects This deserves careful consideration because th this affects everyone involved especially our most vulnerable Repealing policy 5756 is a responsible thing to do Thank you so much for your consideration and time Anthony Mar
from Anthony Mar from Edison I'm here to speak on policy 5756 I want to give you a sideby-side comparison of the transgender student and the student lives the life he or she was born to live The girl living the life of a woman with a boy living the
life of a man The boy living life the one who lives the life he or she was born to live has a much better chance of having children because he hasn't done any serious damage to his reproductive organs Is this is this what we want for our children we want to give them a
policy where they are I don't know if it encourages the word but they're certainly permitted to do serious damage to their reproductive organs They're not told about the risks Then of course there's a And what about regret you think 5 10 15 years 20 years later
they're not going to regret that What do we say to that student we gave you what you wanted Really aren't we supposed to They're the children We're the grown-ups Aren't we supposed to tell them of the high risks and of course there's a concern of suicide The statistics are
undeniable The LGBT community has a higher risk of suicide Keeping 5756 is not going to is not going to help in that regard 5756 is not mandated by law It is not I'm confident the board's attorney will tell you
that Girls competing with with guys I sent the board an email with a video from YouTube about a girl named Payton McNab I hope you've looked at it It's a girl who played volleyball who was seriously injured incurred traumatic brain injury because a transgender
student from the opposing team spiked the ball at her hit her in the head She's she hasn't been the same since Is that what has to happen a lawsuit you know this policy has been around a long time We can't thumb our nose in God's
face time and time again expect him to ignore us He's a forgiving God But he says "A man remains stiff necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without Emmy Please abolish this policy It is damaging to our [Applause]
children." Good evening Dan Finn Coltsneck father of seven one of them who killed himself at 25 due to heredity mental ill illness Okay This policy was ushered in
quietly and it has been implemented quietly partly because it was erroneously labeled as uh mandatory which it is not I do want to thank you for your service to to this community My
wife is a teacher my mother was a teacher and I appreciate all those serving in our schools Although not a resident I have friends here and became involved in this issue with various circumstances starting with the curriculum review in 2022 I hope I
possibly can offer some uh something to benefit you Several days ago after watching the last online meeting I emailed you a surprisingly long list of substantive reasons to abolish 5756 I hope you all were able to read
them thoughtfully Realizing the list was not exhaustive I have compiled a few more reasons I'd like to share This policy marginalizes parental authority and responsibility in the most fundamental area of humanity and therefore undermines every other area of
parental authority and responsibility And by the way this policy is not just about parental notification There's a lot of other implications and it's a slippery slope Children's brains are not sufficiently developed to possibly make irreparable life-changing decisions on
gender identity Friend Lobe the other gentleman referenced it is antithetical to most if not all of your other policies that are rooted in fundamental facts science and are parent centered not child-c centered This policy
fractures the critical parent teacher relationship It is almost entirely applicable to trans and implies that a child can transition from one sex to the other sex I should uh ask you to reference XXXY
chromosomes And there's a there's a couple more substantive reasons I'll send the email Good evening Good evening Bridgewater Raritton BOE council members parents and guests My name is Mary Robbins I've lived in Bridgewater for 26 years and
have two kids I'm here to ask the BOE to repeal policy 5756 Transgender students deserve protection and respect as do all kids There's no objection there Hope we can find a better way However what is written in the policy should disturb parents It
states that the school district shall accept a student's asserted gender identity and parent consent is not required A legal or courtordered name change is not required even for a minor under 18 The school does not even require any documentation or evidence in
any form required diagnosis treatment or legal name change No doctor's note Without documentation of course a boy transitioning can go into a girl's locker room or bathroom It states that the principal or design should have an open but confidential discussion with the student without the parent needing
to know about the students preference on changes to name gender and pronoun Safe students don't keep secrets with kids from their parents If a parent objects to their minor students name change request then school superintendent should consult with the board attorney
Why is there a potential situation where a parent will be charged with abuse if they object to what the school is doing there will be two records on the student One record the parent sees the original name gender and another record of which confidential is confidential from the parents How will this play out when the
student parent and school staff are all together how will the school staff address the student then the policy encourages the student and school to lie and keep secrets from the parents Due to a specific and compelling need such as the health and safety of a student the
school district may then be obligated to disclose the student status after we have a health or safety issue Parents are the last barrier to government schools that are failing to protect and educate our children from this dangerous agenda that is destroying children's mentally emotionally academically
spiritually culturally and morally by normalizing and encouraging confusion Thank you Mr Robins [Applause] Jennifer Woodruff Marboro Uh thank you so much for your time and efforts on the board You've been entrusted with a
paramount responsibility one that includes deciding which policies and what curriculum should be implemented in the district These those people objecting to 5756 tonight have provided the board with common sense and well doumented reasons
why it's a bad policy I agree that the policy is divisive It's discriminatory puts labels on kids and gives special rights to some at the expense of others and it is deceptive to the parents But it's not just the policy that's
concerning me It's the direction that we are heading The 5756 policy needs to be rescended to send a message to the teachers union and our state government from interfering with our children's upbringing and moral standards while keeping parents out of the equation The
government seems to think that they know what is best for our kids and the parents are clueless or they're the problem Why are we teaching children as early as second grade and quite possibly before then that there is a smorges board of genders when we know that they're only two genders and that will
never change We are filling the little kids' heads with gender idolatry at a time when they are impressionable and are little sponges and are very trusting of their teachers Why are we encouraging something that could be only a source of confusion and anxiety we are the cause
of this rise in gender confusion The curriculum that's being sprinkled with gender The curriculum is being sprinkled with gender idol and and not just in the health class It gender studies are in social
studies curriculum Math problems using boy girls and binary children for examples We are the ones to blame for the rise in gender confusion and anxiety in kids Why are we sexualizing our children in the schools we are giving them information as young as fifth grade
about all different kinds of sexual acts and preferences at an age when they are not emotionally or intellectually able to handle Thank you Miss McGrath Oh jeez That's only a small list of what's going on with our state Our state is
you just know what's going on Thank you [Applause] My name is Katie Paci Bridgewater Ridant uh parent and um taxpayer So parents taxpayers and residents are here again begging you to abolish policy
5756 a policy that smarter districts have already scrapped because they actually listen to the people that keep them running Last month you let a hundred pay almost 100 paid NGO activists act advocates for body modification of children and outsiders
with no kids here no taxes paid and no skin in the game hijack this meeting They're not here for education They're here to ram through their agenda to bury the voices of concerned parents And it's not just wrong it's betrayal This policy endangers our daughters Boys in their
bathrooms and sports isn't fairness It's a reckless gamble with the safety their safety and privacy You're also gutting our rights as parents but expect us to trust you with our children The trust isn't just fading it's collapsing With the Trump administration's cracking down
on boys and girls spaces federal funding could dry up if you cling to this mess You've Are you ready to explain to us why our kids' resources got slashed for your stubbornness we've got a we've got district insiders some of the some of
you the NGA's VP teaming up with these NOS's to bully and smear board members who fight for us These NOS's and activists not only targeted a board member at a gym in an act of intimidation but they worked in conjunction with the local media to spin
the story puking out biased garbage that buries our real fears This is a coordinated attack on our kids and our community This isn't about hate It's about protecting our girls defending our rights and demanding you stop cowering to outsiders and use common sense Other
districts grew a spine and ditched 5756 Bridgewater Raridan needs to do the same Stop gambling with our daughters safety and our tax dollars Put our families first not some unhinged activist who'll be gone when the damage is done Do your job
[Applause] I'm Carolyn Mack and I'm from Oldbridge I'm also a parent and a grandparent Couldn't agree more with that parent that spoke just before me I do want to thank you for your service to the community Um and there are a few things
Um I'm just you've heard it but I'm just going to remind you 5756 was wrongly rolled out as a mandatory policy not mandatory And it's a guideline optional guideline for each school district that has looked at it Um
and most of the school districts that have put it up for a vote have resended it Right now it's about 43 districts just so you know Um and I think the parents who are opposed have a lot of good reasons to be
opposed to this Um allowing teen and pre-teen boys into girls bathrooms and locker rooms is indefensible I don't know how any one of you could stand up and um and defend it as uh a needed
policy in our schools Uh a boy with gender dysphoria I'm sorry but he can use the boy's bathroom and locker room and he will be fine Um it's controversial because of a few very bad things And like you've heard it instructs teachers to keep secrets from
the parents If a child and I'm quoting from the policy now expresses a preference to be called by a name other than their birth name permanent student records containing the students birth name should be kept in a separate confidential file So now under this
policy uh the teachers are instructed to have one file for the students given name birth name and gender and then a separate file that is kept from the parent that has the child's new assumed gender identity Um I I want to I know
one thing that you hear a lot is if you don't uh go along with this you will have blood on your hands Um there is a new uh study that was released just this month from the Washington Examiner um that gives Mac that is your time Thank
you All right So I obviously I'm asking you to resend 5756 Thank you Good evening everyone Good evening board me board members Um thank you for allowing me to speak My name is Leela Heinrich and I'm a teacher youth leader
and fellow taxpayer I'm here to address the concerns surrounding policy 5756 While its intentions may be rooted in fostering inclusivity the practical implications of this policy raises critical lifealtering consequences that
demands immediate attention And I'm here to speak on behalf of the students That's because in its current form this policy poses a significant and irreversible risk to the well-being of our children and our children's children The scientific community and studies
such as those conducted by Oxford University have highlighted the increasing concerns about the long-term effects of gender affirming care for minors and lack of evidence supporting the long-term benefits We are witnessing a growing number of
dransitioners Individuals like Khloe Cole who deeply regrets her decisions and are speaking out and warning others of the dangers and lifealtering effects that they now have to face Transitioned as a teenager Khloe underwent puberty blockers testosterone and a double
masectomy before dransitioning She even reported in an interview that after surgery her doctor insisted on removing her ovaries due to the averse side effects of treatment which would put her at risk of ovarian cancer She would no longer be able to have children This
side effect among many others was not even mentioned to her doctor who she's now sued Fortunately she refused surgery She now testifies before legislative bodies speaks against gender affirming surgeries for minors and is working with
advocacy groups as we speak Walt hire is an American author activist and speaker who underwent gender reassignment surgery until dransitioning eight years later He now runs a website called Sex Change Regret Cat Catinson took testosterone
living as a transgender man before dransitioning She now warns against the medical risks of hormone therapy and surgery and is active on news and media She is a current student of molecular cellular and developmental biology
Miss Hinrich that's your time Thank you I urge you board members to do what is right and protect our students Thank you very much Thank you And again I'm going to remind the audience please respect the speaker while they have the time They respected you and gave you your time Please give
them their time Thank you Hello my name is Michael Fyer I'm a resident of Bridgewater for 12 years with a student who graduated from Bridgewater Vitton High School I'm here to state my support for district policy
5756 which has been in place in its current form since 2019 I am a high school's teacher 26 years experience and have taught some students who are transgender I do not believe it is the
teacher's role to inform parents in the cases being discussed for reasons that thoughtful speakers have described earlier A decision about one's gender identity is never taken lightly And in an ideal world a young
person would obviously have those conversations with their families But the reality is that isn't true for everyone I've seen this firsthand and the policy that exists
right now is in place to protect those students I strongly encourage the board in the policy as written Thank you [Applause]
Hello my name is Ron Mack I'm from Oldbridge and uh I come with a harbinger to Bridgewater tonight Members of the Bridgewater School Board I'm asking you to rescend 5756 It is not It is bad for children
Tonight there's a gorilla in the room and an elephant in the room The gorilla that I've only heard three times is that 95% of the students in the school are minors The elephant in the room that I've only heard mentioned once and it won't be mentioned very much is
dransitioning The previous lady said you can uh Google Chloe Cole C H L O E C O L E Lena Jane Luca Hine You can Google it in three minutes and see It's a growing industry $2.1 billion and the lawsuits
are right behind it and they're growing I'm asking you to protect the future of this community This is medical malpractice Counselors employed in any way by Bridgewater Schools with no medical degrees have absolutely no business encouraging minors in any way
to go down this path You have a chance tonight or this in the very near future to rescend 5756 You're here to protect the children That's what needs to be done rather than encourage children to go down this road road with your own counselors Thank
[Applause] you Like what's this good evening Uh my name is Brooke Richards Patterson I am from Oldbridge Um I am a parent and for all the people snickering and hissing please grow up Um I wouldn't be here if your
superintendent wasn't making statements on NJ.com making a spectacle of this township and its his supervisors which are the board of education Um he also was inaccurate in saying that it's law and that this is mandatory because in
fact Oldbridge and several other towns um have already abolished this policy The fact is it's not inclusive and this has nothing to do with protrans anti-trans gay LGBTQ none of it It's about parental
rights and complete strangers to them encouraging children to be keeping secrets planting a seed that possibly might not even be there exploring feelings things like this They should not be discussed with children without somebody's consent Okay I do understand
and again I want to be sensitive and compassionate to trans and the gay community as well as their parents This is a touchy situation However the schools should be protecting every single child Nobody exclusively in under
the same umbrella Um so again if your superintendent is going to talk about the law he should really refer to the executive order of the president who has said that this type of policy is to end in schools Um so again you know this is
really just about being transparent and not keeping secrets from children's parents and getting on board with what everybody else is doing which is focusing on education first Thank you [Applause]
Hello I'm Jennifer Feny I'm a Bridgewater resident of 18 years I live here I work here My daughter is trans And I would like to give you a little bit of a background into what it's like to be in a trans family because I worry
every day about my daughter not only that she when she's in school but when she's out in the world if someone sees her and doesn't like what she's doing doesn't think it's right doesn't think science dictates that she should have the gender choice that she wants or doesn't think that um she deserves to be
who she wants to be that they can bully her she was suicidal I will tell you what when she was suicidal the school called me because that was important Now thankfully my daughter and my home is the safe place My daughter and I'm sorry if I'm shaking but I'm ragy so you have
to forgive me She has five trans friends Now my daughter is safe in my home and all of her friends know that they're safe in my home Three of them have parents who understand Two of them do not One their mother knows what's going on and refuses to give this child
anything in regards to her desired gender She miss she dead names her misgenders her This kid literally lives at my house because she hates to be home because her mother is horrible to her Her brother's both horrible to her Right Okay So yeah the teachers didn't tell
She told her own mother And this is what happened There's another child in Bridgewater now right now who is trans whose family does not know because she does not have two loving parents She doesn't even have one loving parent She has a stepmother that she lives with who would kick her out of her house And
where would she live probably at my house because I'm a safe place And I think our schools need to stay a safe place because these kids are already struggling with bullying with being different Trust me the students all know who's who These the teachers know who's
who They don't need to run home and tell the parents Why do you think the kids haven't told their parents to begin with because their parents are not safe So just think about that if you're making this decision And I did not write anything up because I thought this was finished But if you're thinking about this 5756 think about it from the point
of view of a child who's going to be terrified to go to their home Appreciate it [Applause] My name is Gregory Quinnland I'm with the Center for Garden State Families We're a Christian family advocacy group here in New Jersey I was asked to be
here on behalf of parents who did not feel comfortable talking to you about how they want 5756 taken out of Bridgewater schools I also my sexual identity is exgay I am someone I'm one of thousands
if not millions who have now left the homosexual lifestyle The LGBTQIA-xyz++ ad infinitum identities that are out there are all made up Let me quote to you the American Psychiatric Association Quote "There are no
replicated scientific studies supporting any specific ideology ideology for a homosexuality LGBTQ or any of the other." End quote There is none None There are two genders and they exist as
XX and XY And no matter how you mutilate your body change your identity pretend to be something you're not every cell in your body remains XX or XY That will never change Never You want to talk about suicides As it was already pointed
out in Europe the experiment has went on for nearly 50 years They were reversing all their decisions about allowing transgender surgeries and transgender ideology to take place in their own countries And these countries are considered extremely progressive They're
reversing all of their policies And why because they also had extreme suicide rates not because they were being bullied because they had the ideation but because they had full transgender reassignment surgeries And the the suicide attempt rates with those were
70% in the Netherlands 70% And 40% of them actually made it They actually killed themselves And why are those so high because you can actually commit suicide in in in the Netherlands with assisted suicide because you're
depressed And all of these folks are depressed This is a dangerous policy and you need to get rid of [Applause] it Paul Lun Woodbridge I uh I'm 62 years old I do remember being a teenager once I
remember thinking I knew better than my parents I was a know-it-all Uh I didn't want correction I resented my mom for being so strict And I I suspect that every adult in this room remembers the foolish things we've done in our youth
Now bearing that in mind 60 to 90% of those who start on the path of transitioning it naturally resolves itself as they become as their brain becomes more fully developed This is fact Studies have shown parental
involvement in major decisions like what they're going to do with the rest of their lives or their mental health Parental involvement is critical I heard people say duty to report I am a teacher We have GCN training I don't believe you
can you report unless there's evidence There's evidence emotional evidence physical But this whole guilt by accusation nonsense I don't think that flies But I am willing as a teacher to also be schooled I think the best teachers always are What I do know as a
mature somewhat welladjusted adult is instant gratification uh putting my own feelings ahead of people around me is not a wise way of conducting my life I think a lot of of transgender uh idiation is also coupled
with comorbidities depression about any number of things and the reason suicide goes up after full transition is that it's not the panacea for those things that remain unresolved in the human soul You cannot use surgery and
chemistry as a substitute for soulsearching and finding your true calling in life Please know this is wisdom Please know this has always been true and it will continue to be true when this transdemic has subsided a year from now or two years from now or five
years from [Applause] now Hi I'm Jessica Levit from Bridgewwater My son is my second student going through the district graduating this year I want to briefly speak in support of keeping policy
5756 I have had the pleasure of mentoring the robotics team 303 this year as my son is a member and one of the things I love about the team is that it's a place for everyone No matter who you are you can feel you belong and as Charlie said you are valid Not every
student can find a place like that I appreciate that the administration and the board work tirelessly to make our school safer for everyone And I appreciate Mr Beers for his strong statement that the administration will continue to put children first and follow the same procedures that are
required by law regardless of if policy 5756 exists or not I have trans people who I love and support in my life and in my family and I have children who are LGBTQ plus The policy might not need to exist for the administration to continue
to protect all students but to remove it does in fact send a hurtful message The only comments I have heard expressed against the policy are concerns that would not be changed by removing the policy So there's simply no reason to remove it other than to send the message
that you don't support the legally granted rights of trans students And if that is the case as Mr said Trenton is the place to take that up I have read the other version of the policy and its language yes is more expansive and includes more G groups
That's not necessarily a bad thing and it's the board's perview to review that policy But again the alternate policy doesn't change any of the school's procedures It doesn't change privacy laws or trans students rights to participate in sports etc So to consider
this alternate version seems like a performative attempt to look like you are compromising when that's not true It seems there is not a need to spend more effort on revising a policy that won't change how our schools operate [Applause]
Hello we are Theo Levit and Lyanna Woke We are coming to you from a student standpoint because there are many adults here and we are the ones experiencing the decisions that you all make firsthand Gender identity and sexuality are not
topics within the classroom except for the AP psychology classes which have a mandated curriculum from College Board not selected by our board of education While there are transgender students they are treated exactly the same as any of our other classmates if not being more sus susceptible to social isolation
and stigma To reiterate clearly there is no special treatment for our transgender classmates We would like to double down on the original statement our compatriots presented to the board There is no benefit to rescending policy
5756 Everything highlighted in the policy is mandated by law as stated by many of our speakers before us This debate is purely a play on in a play to intimidate and scare transgender students and is outright shameful coming
from adults who should have the ability to pro pray parse through the countless reputable peer-reviewed studies in support of social gender affirmation for minors We should be striving for an inclusive district in accordance with
New Jersey law with policy 5756 This is in accordance with or this is in accordance with that Thank you [Applause] [Music] My name is Susan and I did not prepare
to speak today because I thought everything was said last time Please take the pseudocience and irresponsible pseudo legal ease you've heard here today with a grain of salt I have a transdaughter who attended Bridgewater Schools She is heartbroken devastated
and truth be told a little bit angry that what is happening in place happens is happening here I thought I went through why it is silly as many people have here of trying to rescend a policy that is actually just state law I quoted my daughter as she described to
me how she and her community feel when there are people who deny them access to bathrooms or life-saving healthcare and even deny their existence or their right to exist But we're not talking about that here We're talking about kids just trying to figure out who they are safely Teachers are here to teach not to report
whether William wants to be Bill or Jill or Janet has a crush on Martin or Mary That's not their job Have you met kids do they tell you everything did you tell your parents everything no I only wish
my daughter was able to come out when she was in school But she wasn't She wasn't able to that because she didn't have the words the vocabulary and she wasn't able to put herself together at that point But she came out to me as an adult And both of us wish we had some of that time together when she was a young
girl My daughter wants this next generation of kids to have what she did not Isn't that all we all want isn't that the moral values we all share to want the best not just for us and ours but others To want better for them Do
not resend this policy It makes no sense Thank you My name is Jennifer Kitchen and I am a 30-year resident of Bridgewwater At the last meeting I spoke in favor of retaining policy 5756 a position I still hold I believe this is the third meeting
in a row there has been discussion of the policy I'll confess to being unfamiliar with all the ins and outs of board policy discussions but I'm assuming it's unusual to spend this much time on the policy that was passed in its current form six years ago and until the past few months existed without comment The only thing that has changed
recently is the increasing scapegoating of trans people leading to this political pingpong I have not heard one Bridgeweather parent or child talk about how they personally were hurt by this policy I have however heard multiple BR
students and parents speak in favor of this policy from their personal experience We just had an example I hope the board will ask speakers to set an example outside this
room as well for their children and not for example post pictures of speakers for mockery on social media and I encourage the board to return to their main business supporting our students Thank
[Applause] you Uh good evening Um President Singer board members thank you for your service My name is Gerald Magalio from the Dolores Turko Foundation Our mission is to protect children from abuse neglect and exploitation Today I'd like to respectfully respond to some of um Mr
Beer's comments at the last meeting particularly in compliance with Title 9 Um however his position to adhere to 5756 puts the district in violation of Title 9 Just 10 days ago the US Secretary of Education warned the
California governor uh to comply with federal law on prohibiting men in women's sports and other sexed spaces or risk losing federal funding Some things I'll quote from that letter Uh just to let you know uh in New Jersey already 20
uh the Secretary of Education is targeting 20 New Jersey school districts for failing to adhere to Title 9 and risk the loss of $85 million Uh a couple comments from his her letter Um school personnel have no business promoting the
false notion that kids can choose or change their sex If a child does exhibit this behavior the school has a duty to notify parents Uh letter also goes on to say you also have a duty to inform California educators This is to the uh
um governor of California and school officials that the creation of so-called gender plans that are kept secret from parents is against federal law If a student claims a gender identity at school managing this issue bureaucratically while hiding it from
parents violates the family education rights privacy acts That's frappa And more importantly it undermines the parent child relationship and deprivives parents of involvement in critical aspects of their child's youthful development Uh goes on to say ultimately
this comes down to the parents fundamental rights to raise their own children When we entrust our children to school we want to know that the school is committed to educating them on critical subjects not exposing them to books Um and I just have one last sentence I'd like to conclude with a
message to our LGBT community We are not your enemy We are parents that love our children and we love you too We want the best for you You're created by God knows you Thank you Okay Uh hello my name is Jim Maloney I'm a
resident of Bridgewater Um I'm actually here for two reasons tonight Uh first I want to say uh as the president of the BR theater arts council uh I really enjoyed the production this weekend of Foot Loose Um it was wonderful seeing many of the board members there um
sometimes twice uh which is great Um so it was a a very good show and uh On a personal note my daughter's a senior is graduating and will be pursuing a BFA in film television theater at Ryder University next fall Um and I know her experiences in the theater program here
have helped her to get to that point and uh want to pursue that as a career On to the other subject of the evening Um so there there's been a lot of talk about you know transgender policy and all the different aspects of it Um on the
subject of athletics uh the NJSIA policy uh was first implemented in 2009 over 15 years ago Um and their policy allows for challenges if competition is unfair Um and the attorney for NJSIA has said that there
have been no hearings no controversies and no trans athletes brought to their attention Um on the subject of parent involvement um in the case of student records um uh the attorney general recently stated that uh in court that
schools would be obligated to respond truthfully to a parent or guardian who contacted the school to request confirmation that their child had made a request for trans transgender accommodation or statement of transgender identification or expression And as noted otherwise in in cases of
health or safety there may be a requirement to to notify parents uh let's see federal funding uh the uh education law expert David Rubin has said there's nothing coming out of Washington right now as far as I can
tell that requires districts to do anything different than what the law already had been requiring or prohibiting In my opinion their interpretation does not square with current decisions from our federal courts Thank you Uh good evening My name is Brian Wood I've been a resident of Bridgewwater
since 2004 I sent this letter to the board this afternoon but I just want to read it tonight into the record I'm writing to again to urge you to leave policy 5756 untouched This is not a problem for Bridgewater It's not a problem in the athletic program It's not
a problem in the classroom It's not a problem in the school bathrooms It's not a change requested by teachers and school staff who enforce the policy It's not a request by our students who are supported by the policy And we have not seen a major outcry by parents in the district not people from out of town
like we've heard tonight So why are we still talking about it and wasting the board's time and valuable school administrative time researching the question again after it was voted down twice because this is a faux crisis invented and rammed down the throats of school boards across the country by
members of the MAGA verse and their social media stars and they refuse to admit defeat At the last board meeting we heard from you about the extreme budgetary pressures that our district is under from the rising cost of health care and other issues And that was before the
financial crisis that followed the introduction of across the board tariffs by the White House As we all know that impact on state and municipal finance in New Jersey will be severe So let's be done with this folly The board minority
was not has not put forth any compelling logic to spend another minute on this debate Let's stay focused on the task that will support the education of our students in Bridgewater Enough is enough Thank you
[Applause] Good evening My name is Elizabeth Kawuchcci Um some of you may know me Um I'm a recent retiree from the middle school where I taught for over 20 years I don't have any prepared remarks but there are two points that I think I'd
like to make One is in response to some some of the information that first of all has very little to do with this policy Um we are not sexualizing children in second grade as was mentioned by some and I'm looking at my all of my colleagues in the back of the
room who work very hard and are here Um we're not sexualizing students in second grade We're not taking them into a private room and giving them their options of the different genders that they might entertain We're not talking to them about gender assignment surgery
Teachers have a lot more important things to do like making sure that kids have lunch making sure that they have they're they're able to get their homework done making sure that they're not struggling with their academics So a
lot of this is just pure nonsense Um that some people have their own agendas and I think the prior speak speaker spoke to that But a lot of what's been discussed has nothing to do with this policy This policy is here to protect children And if anybody was here
at this last meeting and listened to some of these intelligent thoughtful young people speaking about how terrified they would be if someone rescended this policy That should be the end of the discussion That should be the end of the
discussion We should not have students being terrified by what are we telling them if we resend this policy when we have the law Anyway my second point is so many of the people that came and spoke here the parents that came and spoke they spoke
because they're concerned about their children and their children are very lucky to have them And that's why you're here But the children that need this policy are not your children you are going to you're the parent that's going to they're going to come and speak to you They're going to come
and talk to you This policy is for children who don't have people like you Thank you very [Applause] much Um JP 11 Bridgewater 491 Norwood Drive I
guess um I always say my address Um thanks for having these type of meetings and thank you for letting everyone speak I commend everybody on both sides because it takes a lot of courage um to speak in front of a crowd
especially when it's um live streamed publicly And I want to commend kids um for speaking out too because for for a child to speak that I mean that takes a lot a lot of courage Um with that said though I'm going to change it up just a
little bit Um regarding high school sports and I'm specifically talking about high school sports from my experience of having two kids in the district one being a sen one being a senior now and one graduating
two years ago I have to say you guys need to do something You've already dedicated a college a counselor dedicated towards college kids that are bound for for college or to want to do something with college But we also need a counselor dedicated towards student
athletes because our counselors from my experience on one counselor in particular and now she's uh she has since retired probably after our stance um that she knew nothing about division one and division 2 NCAA sports We were
totally misinformed We knew nothing about it my daughter has unfortunately we were able to work things through but unfortunately um you know it's too late but it was done so my recommendation is having a a college counselor but since
I'm talking about sports um I want to say about 50 what is it um 57 56 just real quick is you have a huge policy that in my personal opinion I'm not for all right I'm not for this policy I'm not for the NJ NJSBA DA
policy I think you guys should be taking the policy and really really dissecting it into several parts Parents sports and and bathroom locker rooms don't have an nominee bus of a policy Thank you
Good evening My name is Cheryl Figaniano I'm a Bridgewater resident I'm a teacher of Bridgewater of 38 years And I actually came here this evening to support my colleagues Had no idea that I was stepping into this And just observations This policy
isn't about transgender It's about communication It's about giving kids the opportunity to communicate their feelings and wants But the truth of the matter is if you had the relationship with your child that most people should
have your child would tell you They would tell you if they were concerned about their gender identity They would tell you that they were scared in school They would tell you So the all the people who are speaking and and sensationalizing this event talking about surgery no teacher I have ever met
in my 38 years has performed surgery in school It's just it's not our priority We are not transgender professionals We are here to keep kids educated and safe and giving them a place to be themselves
This isn't about transgender This is about parents needing to communicate with their children and teachers keeping kids safe It's that simple And all of this kind of crazy talk about drtransition that has no place here That
has nothing to do We're not a medical facility We're not researchers We're not psychologists We're teachers And all we want to do is to educate and protect our children So I don't really understand what went on here this evening I was
totally taken by surprise But it's very disheartening that so much energy was spent vilifying teachers districts our board when it should be spent talking about kids and their needs It's hard to
be a kid in the year 2025 And that's what we should be worried about not worried about things that don't exist and are not happening in our schools Thank you Is there any other public comment seeing none I'm going to close
that portion of the meeting I'm going to close public comment We're up to item number 11 the approval of minutes So moved Are there any changes to the minutes that need to be made
seeing none Mr Lumsky could you please money second Any questions or comments seeing none Mr Lansky could you call the RO please mr Lee yes Miss
Hassuna yes Mr Jooshi yes Miss Lan yes Miss Lee yes Mr Pepe yes Mr Walker yes Miss Khri yes Mr Sanger yes The motion passes We're up to curriculum 2556 through curriculum 2558
uh I get to have my little speech uh as to uh we need to invoke the doctrine of necessity for this because there is a uh portion of this that the board uh uh benefits from as it is workshop Um so we
are going to invoke the doctrine of necessity which uh applies when the board would otherwise be conflicted but allows the board to vote in that circumstance So I need a motion So moved Is that a second do we need a motion for
the doctrine of necessity or is that implied no I just invoked it You just invoked it Correct Right Cool But thank you for asking All right We had our second Yes Okay Are there any questions on curriculum 2556 through curriculum 2558
seeing none Mr Lumsky could you please call the role mr Lee Yes Mr Assuna yes Mr Jooshi yes Miss Lachman yes Miss Lee yes Mr Pepe abstain on 2557 Yes On the rest
Mr Walker yes Miss Khalistri yes Mr Sanger yes The motion passes We're up to business 25128 through business 25136 So moved A second Are there any questions or comments i
just had one regarding 25131 with the bleachers for the middle school and Eisenhower school Are those those are the inside in the gym right not outside on the field Correct Anyone else seeing none Mr Could you please
call the role mr Lee yes Muna yes Mr Jooshi yes Miss Lan Yes Miss Lee Yes Mr Pepe Yes Mr Walker Yes Miss Khalifrey Yes Mr Singer Yes the motion passes Move up to special services 2522 through
special services 2524 Second There you go Any questions or comments seeing none Mr Lky please call the role Mr Lee yes Miss Asuna yes Mr Jooshi yes Miss Lockchran yes Miss Lee
yes Mr Pepe yes Mr Walker recuse on 2522 Yes On 23 and 24 Miss Khalifi Yes Mr Sanger Yes Motion passes We're up to other 2528 and other 2529
Salute Second Are there any questions that require us to go into close session seeing none Mr Lunch please call the RO Miss Mr Lee yes Mr Asuna yes Mr
Jooshi abstain on 2528 Yes To 2529 Miss Lan uh recuse myself on 2529 and uh no to 290030
of 2528 and yes to the rest If that's the wrong number I'll confirm I could look it up Okay Miss Lee yes to 2528 No to 2529 Mr Pepe
yes Mr Walker yes Miss Kalistri yes Mr Singer yes The motion passes We are now up to old business Is there any old business can I mention some old business mr Lee thank
you Uh I just want to take the time to obviously thank a lot of our residents and folks who drove out here to for speaking tonight You know especially on both sides of policy 5756 I think um having these discussions are worthwhile They're difficult to have but they're worth having because it's an important
issue Um and I I'd like to address some of the issues or you know points that were made by the public tonight Um I just want to emphasize that I always think from the perspective of a student um trans or not trans I mean I put myself in the shoes of each and every
single one of our students And I want to remind folks here that I was once a student here walking through our school halls And I personally know former classmates who are part of the trans community part of the LGBTQ community Uh and when I speak here you know at this
stis I speak not just as a board member but always as a former student with this interest of our students always at mind Um some points I think were made that policy 5756 is not an issue in our district Uh we should not be addressing
issues only when they come up but try and find ways to prevent them before they become an issue Why are we waiting until it becomes a problem or until there's public outcry from parents i also kind of want to re reiterate as well that repealing this policy is not a
direct attack on trans students in an attempt to single them out and harm them I will once again reiterate that the repeal of this policy doesn't intend to harm students increase trans suicide or exacerbate the challenges of trans
students facing bullying We can all agree here that trans suicide and trans bullying is disgusting It has no place here in Bridgewater Ronin and I will fight to ensure every student including trans students get the respect and dignity that they deserve I hope we can
all work together as a community to do what's right for all of our students and to end trans bullying and suicide Uh I just also want to generally reiterate that you know being here on this board you know it goes beyond rubber stamping Uh the real role really does lie in just
hearing from everyone speak out Um and especially for my residents I think it it speaks volumes to the fact that you know public comment is such an important part of our process Um and it's important to have these tough conversations Uh we weren't elected once
again to rubber stamp Um and we're not elected to be a part of a meeting where bureaucrats can just step in and run a meeting that's not his Uh we were not elected to bow down to threats or demands that were made by unelected bureaucrats Uh we were elected to tackle
a lot of the critical issues like policy 5756 that are facing our students and to address the voters of Bridgewwater and Riden Put the trust in us to be good stewards of school governance Uh I also want to also address some of the
unacceptable behavior that some members of the public experienced when addressing the board at our previous Jeremy I'm just going to ask that you that you focus your attention to the board To the board when you're addressing it because this is old business So yes Okay Uh obviously there's no place for disrespect derision
hostility or intimidation when people come forward and voice their opinions uh we were elected public servants and those who speak before us deserve nothing less than the same respect we'd expect for ourselves I also want to add that it's never acceptable for a member
of the public to intimidate or threaten a board member in a public setting of any kind And as a member of this board I find such behavior to be not just unprofessional but downright vile And I I stand with my board colleagues against this behavior notwithstanding uh some of
the differences that we may have Uh but finally I think it's good to get straight to the point Policy 5756 And I'll be blunt once again This policy wrongly asserts that decisions about a student's gender identity are not a matter for families to decide when they
should be It affirms access by biological males to female restrooms locker rooms and girls sports And this isn't just a matter of fairness but it's about protecting families ensuring the safety of our students And if the repeal of policy 5756 ever comes before this
board I will vote to repeal it without hesitation This policy has no place in our schools and I will fight tooth and nail to see that this policy be removed from our district Um and then I also want to just call out you know glaring hypocrisy that's been on display Many of
the partisan organizations that came before us last month speaking veminantly against their repeal of policy 5756 have absolutely zero skin in the game These groups from out of town are here to push their special interest agenda They don't
care about our schools our students or our deeply held Bridgewwater and Ronin family values They care about their own political narratives and they'll stop at nothing to manipulate our decision-making process Uh and let me make one thing clear I
will not be bullied by these outside special interest groups I will not be intimidated into voting against the interests of our school community So I've got to respectfully just say that the comments made at the last meeting that repealing policy 5756 is some kind
of political game or political stunt is just patently false Lastly I just want to reiterate that I will not be bullied I will not back down And I stand firm in my commitment to serve this community and to do what's right No matter how
loud the out of town deep pocketed special interest opposition gets I will refuse to surrender my independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups or to use the schools for personal gain or for the gain of friends That's all I have to say
Is there any other old business i wish to be recognized Miss Lee go ahead I would also like to express my gratitude to the public to Kim to speak I think that uh the time that was taken
out of their precious evening uh are deeply appreciated Um the viewpoints are also uh heard uh from all angles and all sides and I want to say that um there's a unifying message in all the speakers
that everyone wanted the best for the kids There might be a difference in opinion of how it's done There might be a difference opinion of uh uh who should decide who should know however the unifying message is that we
all want the best for the students in the district I I believe that's the common goal for this board as well I think uh being a transgender is hard transitioning is hard I think that um I just hope that when the transgender
students are going through that they have their parents by their side They may not be on their side but by their side So they need to know current policy 5756 is one form that is implementing
this uh law that was passed in 2017 Um that was uh Senate Bill um 3067 that is a one page and a half document from that to the guideline There has been much more information and
statement that was added to that If we have just come back to that law I think this policy would be a lot shorter So with that I think the way that our current policy Strauss's May version
5756 is not they they script that we all have to stick to It has its flaws For example it doesn't have a age limit What about a six-year-old what about a three year old that their school district can have but this policy applies to all age
group So not how parents have it harm This harm might diminish when the kids get a little older However let's not forget that this policy do apply to all age group in our district starting from age three that our school district can
have So let's do a critical review of this policy Let's look at this policy There are things that we need to look into and see whether it needs change This policy is to some of our people have already mentioned six years old already When it first got rolled out it
might have tried to consider all perspective However how is it working when rubber meets the road when it's in practice for so long how is it working out it is critical time for us to take a look at it give it a good review and see whether the alternative policy is better
reviewing policies updating policies is a routine regular part of our board's responsibility Let's do that I think that we had we just had a academic committee meeting I think from the
previous two meetings we have already mentioned this policy needs to be looked at its mandatory status needs to be updated at least and being outdated for so long and there's alternative other policy forms I'm actually a little disappointed that we haven't looked at
it during our last um academic meeting which was yesterday but I do I do wish that in our next meeting that this is on agenda of our academic meeting Yeah it will be reviewed next month at
the May academic committee Sorry I would also just like to say I'd appreciate everyone coming and as much as we won't be bullied by any of the special interest groups and paid protesters and whatnot that were here last month the same goes for tonight for all the out of town I really appreciate
the people that were from town that gave their opinions and their emotional pleas Um but all these special interest groups also will not bully us and will not sway us We'll do our job
[Applause] Is there any other old business thank you Um I agree with the speaker who said it was disappointing that teachers students and this board be vilified And
uh you know I I'll reserve my thoughts on a comment that was made I was the board member who brought up the New Jersey School Board Association's model policy called gender expression and I stand behind every single word I said
and that's all I have to say about it Any other we're going to move on to new business Is there any new business michael just had a question uh regarding public comment at the next meeting I know you mentioned that at the beginning
Mr Singer Um not particular to this or any other issue but I believe the next meeting is our budget hearing It is And in the past that's been I think that the public hearing has been folded into that first agenda item public comment session which at that time was was five minutes
and I guess still would be um with whether the next meeting sees that two-minute limit or not I was wondering if there's been any consideration to having a dedicated five minute regular hearing just for the budget specifically
because I think that's important to the community as well and people may have a lot to say on a couple different topics but I think it's important that we give that its full full do and that may have been the plan but I'm just putting it out there I think we've done that in the past Um and I'll talk about
it with Mr Pierce Consider that Thanks Yeah No I know it's always been done but that was when we had two public comment sessions Thanks Can I mention something what was that can I be recognized
sure One second Um I'd like to um mention policy 0168 I think it's in our bylaws um recording board meetings Uh there's some language under the section titled
electronic recording Um and I'd like to um add some language uh that would include saying that all public meeting recordings including audio recordings shall be retained on a permanent basis for public viewership online Uh closed session meetings and committee meetings
shall be recorded and retained on a permanent basis for the board and necessary personnel um and to delete that one sentence that starts with the recording shell I think uh making this policy amendment uh revising this policy
will ensure that you know we are ultimately promoting the transparency that we should be I think as a board um it's been brought up to me by a lot of members of our community that you know the prior year's recordings of previous public meetings have actually been
removed from our YouTube channel and you know I reached out to Mr Superintendent Beers and he explained that uh they were archived to keep the channel current and up to date You know I do appreciate his positive intentions but I think uh more members of our community you know continued to raise concerns about the
lack of historical meeting recordings available to the public and obviously I decided we should obviously change something about that right um and obviously public service should be trans transparent and the records and the work we do should be accessible to the public
um without a lot of unnecessary oper requests and you know kind of hearing the concerns of our community I think it's a good idea to prop for me to propose these revisions to our policy uh on 0168 in order to improve transparency with the public You know ensure that
public board meetings remain accessible to our community Um and by implementing these policy revisions you know we'll help make our public schools I think work better for families you know promoting vital transparency communication um and the necessary public scrutiny and oversight that helps
build better school districts Uh and then for us you know as board members um as staff and as administrators I think that making committee meetings and closed session recordings available to the board and administrative personnel will make everyone's jobs easier from you know board members to you know a lot
of our hardworking staff here and you know by having these recordings being able to refer back to them I think information we may have missed during these meetings uh can obviously be retrieved after those meetings and for all those above reasons I think that hopefully the community relations
committee could consider uh some of these revisions I know I sent an email to the board with some of these uh visions and I know I was everyone kind of knows that I was going to mention it so you know I I this would be appropriately handled by the personnel committee as they've been handling the
zero series Okay perfect So we can we can send that to uh personnel committee Personal committee Awesome Thank you And you have the language as well So I assume you'll look over it I suggest that you also send an email to Dr Fonder so that he's aware of it Perfect I will
do that Thank you Can I make a comment following this so while the policy is being looked at uh I wonder what happens to the recordings that's already being um taken off as private Is it possible to restore those
while we look at our policy right now as you're aware that was not a board level decision So we will refer that to the administration for their consideration Let's do that I I wonder what our the rest of board think about you know the the the policy about or the
practice about retaining the meeting recording If anyone wants to make a comment I believe referring it to committee at this point is probably the best course of action because I think it it deserves a
thorough review I did read uh what Mr Lee had sent us I agree with some I do not agree with all of his thoughts So I think a thorough review of it would make
more sense than trying to discuss it as a full board Okay I I think this is important aspect pertaining to transparency uh when it comes to our meeting recording and its availability Thank you
I just say I didn't realize that there was a change So thank you for to everyone who pointed that out That's all I want to say No no worries No worries Um is there any other new business i have an item for new business but if anyone else has something first Um so workshop uh is
coming up I'm sorry Do you want to do that you're welcome to do it Okay Uh workshop is coming up in just six months Uh but we need to uh reserve hotel now Um as you saw it was on the agenda today for permission to go to the workshop Um
one of the suggestions has been to what oh Bata right we had a block there right but um we're going to probably move it to Caesars Okay Yeah So the concern that um I'm raising to the board is that the hotel
price is in excess but not as much is in excess of what um is covered So I just want to make sure that those who are in attendance uh are okay with covering that excess charge Kevin do you remember what it is for Caesars pull it up I have
I believe it was between 35 and $40 per night Per night right so um there are other options as well that would not incur additional cost Um and could we book two separate hotels for people that Yeah want to incur that cost and people
that don't yes All right So if you could email me uh and let me know if you're okay with incurring the cost and or if you are not um we will try to accommodate that as best possible Um I don't want to take up any more time on this but that is something that is a personal preference and please let me
know Yeah Is there an official hotel like an official base hotel or I mean was it resorts last time i'm not that was not there this past year Okay So yes it's resorts and that would not incur additional cost Thanks
So let me know your preferences I would definitely prefer to state Okay I is about this Um so again email me We don't need to have too much of a conversation on this right because I think it's better for me to just compile it and send it to Mr
Lumpsky than to spend more time on this here Okay I was going to ask about the vote event Um do I just notify you like I did via email that I I know there's an SCB Yeah
Yeah Yeah The SCSBA So I was planning to attend that If I just let you know is that fine you need to register for it Have to register for it All right Perfect Thank you Everyone who wants to attend the SC SCSBA meeting on May 8th needs to register for it Uh I was communicated to by the NJSBA representative who wanted to make sure
that there were people uh there or to find out if people were interested in going and I have a shortter now that there will be a a number of people there So does are you just talking about their last regular meeting of the Yes But the uh but the our board is being recognized
as having a certified status Got no worries I'm in another uh what was the date of that thank you No I'm sorry May 6th Never mind Whatever that Tuesday is
How dare you Is there any other new business seeing none I'm going to um whereas uh discussion by the board is required on matters that are exceptions to the requirement that a public body
hold its meetings in public and whereas the topic for discussion is matters that disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy Whereas it is expected that the detail details of this of this discussion may be made available uh to the public
uh as soon as the uh the issue is acted upon publicly Be it resolved that the board enters into close session at this time Second All in favor i Anyone opposed okay And just for the public uh there will we are going into close session
briefly We will then come back into open session There will be no business uh voted on in in open session So for other than to uh adjourn the meeting So as far as uh the business portion of this is done we're we're done with that So thank
you for your time I did that was the matter that disclosure of which would constitute I've talked about this with