Controversy Over School Sex and Gender Guidelines in OC

OCEAN CITY – At a recent Ocean City School Board meeting, parents reportedly confronted school board officials over how new state standards regarding teaching sexuality in schools will affect curriculum this fall.
According to a report in the Press of Atlantic City, parents are lobbying local government officials to revise the state’s standards for sex education, which were approved in 2020 and are set to go into effect this fall. 
Thomas Baruffi, Ocean City’s acting superintendent, said that the school is required to adopt the state board of education’s standards, the Press reported. 
In a statement released last week, Gov. Phil Murphy said parents should have a say in their child’s education and can have their child opt out of a lesson they think would be better discussed in their own home. 
“We have seen a handful of sample lesson plans being circulated that have not been adopted in our school districts and do not accurately reflect the spirit of the standards,” Murphy added.
At the center of this debate lay questions over how and when students are taught about gender identity and sexuality. Currently, the standards include concepts to be incorporated into the curriculum for specific grade levels. For example, by the end of fifth grade, students are to learn that “all individuals should feel welcome and included regardless of their gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.”
Some local political leaders have advocated against the new standards in Trenton. Per the Press’s reporting, Sen. Michael Testa (R-1) proposed a resolution calling for a revision of the standards in March. The resolution states, “any State policy governing instruction in sex education must promote parental autonomy and respect for family values and beliefs.”