Holmdel, NJ school board closer to amending transgender policy
🔴 The Board of Education heard two hours of public comment
🔴 A vote to rescind the policy passed but it's not a done deal
🔴 Two members would like to craft a different policy
HOLMDEL – Another Monmouth County school is ready to repeal its transgender policy but is considering a different approach to the issue of protecting the rights of both transgender students and their parents.
The Holmdel Board of Education voted to repeal the state's transgender policy at Wednesday night’s meeting by a 5-2 vote with two members not present due to illness.
The board attorney said a “confirming” vote needs to be taken at the next meeting on Oct. 18, according to Patch coverage of Wednesday's meeting.
The debate over the policy
The board took nearly two hours of public comment on the issue representing those who believe that the policy is needed to protect transgender students from potential harm and who want parents to know what is going on in the life of their children.
Surekha Collur and Kimberly Tuccillo, the two members who voted against the repeal, said they would like to bring together those on both sides of the issue to come up with a policy that addresses parental rights and the needs of transgender students.
Collur said the solution could make history in the renewed debate over the state policy.
Is the state policy mandatory?
Strauss Esmay, a company that advises districts on state compliance, marked state policy 5756 as mandatory but Deputy Attorney General James Michael conceded before a judge that the ban on parental notification was only "guidance." This has triggered a number of districts to consider their own policy.
The Millstone Board of Education voted Tuesday night to rescind its state policy and Hanover reaffirmed its vote to rescind.
Howell's Board of Education also voted to rescind but a re-affirmation vote is needed, according to board's attorney.
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