On Tuesday night’s “Ask the Governor” radio program on WNYC, Governor Phil Murphy said he was “offended” and would be “vigilant to the max in fighting back” when asked about school policies that seek to involve parents in important issues affecting their children.

Murphy has begun to fight back – filing lawsuits against school boards for passing policies that support notifying parents if and when a student asks teachers, or school staff, for accommodations or changes regarding their own gender. And now NJ101.5 reports that sanctions – like loss of school funding – could be on the table.

The LD11 Republican team calls on Senator Gopal and his running mates to denounce the Murphy Administration’s ill-advised threats, and to demand Murphy immediately restore the $75 million cut from LD-11 schools.

“Instead of filing lawsuits to keep parents out of essential discussions about their children’s health and well-being, the Governor should be helping school districts contend with the enduring learning loss kids are suffering from due to the pandemic,” said Steve Dnistrian, candidate for the state senate in LD-11.

“Phil Murphy is using parents and children as pawns as he advances a severely misguided agenda,” said Marilyn Piperno, Assemblywoman for LD-11. “It is appalling that after years of funding cuts and learning loss – which have damaged our children’s ability to get the best education and services possible – this is Murphy’s priority? To punish our children and schools with more funding cuts?!”

“I don’t know what’s more offensive – Murphy’s lack of compassion for his neighbors, or Vin Gopal’s inability to stand up for Monmouth County’s families,” concluded Kim Eulner, Assemblywoman for LD-11. “We can all agree that we want the best education possible for our children – and we look forward to our opponents joining us in fighting to undo the damage the Governor has caused.”