A serious violation of religious beliefs
I informed you two weeks ago that in partnership with the Pacific Justice Institute, the New Jersey Family Policy Center submitted a lengthy 27-page Rule Making Petition demanding the NJ State Board of Education repeal their Equity and Equality in Education amendments.
The Pacific Justice Institute and the New Jersey Family Policy Center strongly believe the Board’s amendments that 1.) Eliminate gendered nouns and pronouns; 2.) Eliminate language indicating only two genders/sexes; 3.) Mandate schools that separate classes dealing with human sexuality do so based on gender identity, and 4.) Require all students to be taught curriculum concerning gender and gender identity as defined by the Board, violate the free exercise of religion, the establishment clause, equal protection under the law, and deny parents’ fundamental liberty interest in caring for and guiding their children.
Students should not be forced to leave their religious beliefs at the schoolhouse door to receive a public education from the State of New Jersey.
Furthermore, students should not be forced to affirm, agree with and adopt the religious views of the State.
It is factual that nothing protects students in public schools from being exposed to ideas that are contrary to their religious faith, but you cannot force students to affirm those ideas, yet the changes made by the State BOE will transform a neutral learning environment into a hostile one for children that have deeply held religious beliefs.
In the final analysis, our request for the State BOE to repeal their amendments is because they are unconstitutional and seriously violate religious liberty.
But now it’s your turn!
I want to encourage you to complete your own Rule Making Petition. The NJ Dept of Education provides an online form that will ask you questions to quickly guide you through the required Rule Making Petition information. It really is simple!
According to the NJ Dept of Education website, any person can use an online form to petition the State Board of Education or Commissioner of Education to adopt a new rule, or amend or repeal an existing rule. Procedurally, the DOE must file your petition request with the Office of Administrative Law, post it on the New Jersey Register online, and then the President of the State Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education must review each petition, send a written response back to each person, and inform the entire State Board of Education of their actions.
Next Wednesday, Sept 6 from 2-4pm is the next NJ State Board of Education meeting in Trenton. Our Director of Advocacy Shawn Hyland will be there to give public testimony in support of our Rule Making Petition. I want to encourage you to attend as well to support the one hundred parents who signed up to express their objection to the actions of the State Board of Ed.
Allan F. Wright
Executive Director
