BARNEGAT, NJ — A special Board of Education meeting intended to implement a curriculum for the upcoming school year quickly devolved into arguments and bickering between board members.
Members raised their voices, spoke over one another and disagreed over the new curriculum, which failed to be implemented at the previous meeting. Read more: No Approved Curriculum Sends Barnegat School District Scrambling
Four members voted to approve the curriculum, while four others voted it down. The four who said yes claimed they had no knowledge that it would not be approved, while the four no’s said it should have been expected. The even split deadlocked the board and meant the new curriculum would not be implemented.
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The curriculum ultimately passed at the special meeting, but not without plenty of arguing.
The topic that caused concern was again the comprehensive physical health and education – the controversial sex education subject that has brought issues in the district over the past year. What was confusing to those on the board who voted yes, though, was that there had been no changes to that portion of the curriculum.
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There were at least five opportunities to voice concerns about the agenda prior to the vote, said Board President Sean O’Brien, who said that he had been blindsided by the no votes.
Board member Scott Sarno asked why everything was held up due to the curriculum when last year, the sex education curriculum was not approved until October.
The answer was that the rest of the curriculum had been approved in August and only sex ed was left out, and this year the entire curriculum failed to pass. O’Brien said that the board could have tabled the vote or brought a motion to separate out the sex ed portions again, but they did not.
Regina Tarnowski, absent at the latest meeting due to surgery, accused the four no votes of seizing the opportunity knowing she would be missing, as she would have voted yes and then would have had a majority.
She argued with Sandra Churney, who has been avidly against the sex ed curriculum since day one. Churney and Board Vice President Bonnie Levy also spent time arguing, accusing the other of lying.
Churney said that her concerns about a State Board of Ed vote removing gender-specific language were ignored in the meeting minutes from the previous meeting, while Levy said she didn’t report it because it had no bearing on any changes. The two often interrupted each other and raised their voices while speaking.
One member of the public noted Churney’s opposition to the sex ed curriculum, particularly portions relating to LGBTQ topics.
The speaker referenced Churney’s past comments calling the curriculum “over-sexualized” and saying the teachings would lead to pedophilia.
“The only person who really seems to be oversexualizing this is you,” she said to Churney.
“It’s time we stop infantilizing teenagers and embracing what teenage life is really like in a healthy and safe way,” she added. “That includes sex and sex education.”
When Churney said that the vitriol from residents on social media impacts her children as a parent in the district, too, another board member said “maybe you shouldn’t have compared trans youth to pedophiles.”
“If that was taken out of context, that’s not my problem,” said Churney, but then added that “the LGBT is looking now to lower the age of consent” and have pedophilia flags, a baseless accusation. Attempts to link the LGBTQ community with pedophiles is a long-standing tactic by opponents to stigmatize the community.
During public comment, some spoke to voice their support of the curriculum, while others agreed that it should not be taught the way it is and instead focus on “common sense policies that are appropriate for our children.”
“The curriculum should primarily be focused on traditional academic subjects that form the foundation of a well-rounded education,” said Barnegat resident Chris O’Connor. “Introducing non-binary subjects into our curriculum may divert valuable time and resources away from the core subjects.”
Jennifer Rowe, a mother of four in Barnegat who works as a pediatric emergency nurse and also fosters children, had a differing view. She noted that LGBTQ teenagers are more likely to consider suicide.
“I want them to know that they can be loved and accepted here,” said Rowe. “And I think a more comprehensive and inclusive sexual education policy would be the way to go.”
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