This letter was submitted by members of the Ocean City Alliance for Sensible Education, comprised of parents who object to the new state standards on physical and sexual health. At the Ocean City school board meeting last Wednesday, the Board voted 6-5 to accept the standards, despite opposition from parents. In April the Cape May County Commissioners, who oversee Ocean City, unanimously passed a resolution opposing the standards because of  “lack of transparency” by the Murphy Administration as well as “age inappropriateness of certain content.” The day after the school board meeting, Superintendent Matthew Friedman, posted a letter on the district website reminding parents of their ability to opt-out their children from lessons they consider inappropriate.

Here is the letter:

At the last Ocean City Board of Education meeting, citizen after citizen rose to speak out in opposition to the regressive, radical sex and gender ideology standards proposed by the State. Parents, grandparents, elected leaders and members of OCNJ’s faith community offered heartfelt testimony about the harm that would come to children if the board enacted the standards. They suggested that oversexualizing the curriculum, and trampling on parental responsibilities would be a grave mistake.

The Board members were also provided copies of the Cape May County Commissioners’ unanimous resolution condemning the standards, copies of resolutions by other New Jersey school districts that rejected the standards, and over 340 signed petitions by OCNJ public school stakeholders urging the district to reject the standards.

No one rose at last week’s meeting to defend the State’s perverted health and PE standards.

Despite a thorough review of the standards by a few members of the school administration, there was no indication that the members of the Board had read or reviewed the controversial sexual content and teaching standards. There was no indication that the board is even aware of the dangers these standards pose to our children, and that, as reported in The Times of London, there has been an over 4000% increase in young girls declaring confusion about their gender in recent years.

Inexplicably, after hearing over an hour of constituent opposition, the board voted 6-5 to adopt the State’s inappropriate standards in the OCSD curriculum. The newest board member, Ryan Leonard, who had only been sworn in that night, cast the deciding vote. He should have recused himself on the night he assumed a temporary unelected appointment on the board. We thank the five courageous board members who voted against the standards: MCALLISTER, GALLELLI-KEYES, HOLMES, VANDERSLICE, WHELAN. The BoE members who voted to adopt the sex and gender ideology standards were HALLIDAY, LEONARD, ROCHE, KANE, SOOY, CLARK.

It was the most liberal position the Ocean City Board has taken in the past few years. Unfortunately, it is evident that our board would rather represent the interests of the NJEA, Governor Murphy, and those who are advancing a “so called” social justice agenda in our schools. Clearly, Ocean City’s Board of Education no longer reflects our town’s conservative, Judeo-Christian values.

We ask our board to reconsider and repeal this decision at its next scheduled meeting, and join many other New Jersey school districts and counties (including Cape May) that have already rejected and condemned the standards. We ask our board to do the right thing and put our children first.

Ocean City Alliance for Sensible Education

Joann Burns
Richard Burns
Pastor Matthew Glancey

John Henry

Mary Allegretto Henry

Ethel Hermaneau

John Huber

Lora Huber
Kelly Hudak
Kelly Johnson
Bill Nicoletti
Liz Nicoletti
Walter Nistorenko
Anna Nistorenko

Barbara O’Brien

Mark O’Brien

Jim O’Neill
Catherine Panico
William Panico
Robin Shaffer

Joe Sosnowsky

Ginny Sosnowsky

Terry Tew

Peter Tew

Carol Thierault

Al Weber
Janice Weber
Edie West
Glenn West