Long Valley Eyes Revision To School Policy, Addressing Parental Rights

LONG VALLEY, NJ — The Washington Township Public Schools Board of Education is mulling over a potential revision of a district policy with the intent of increasing parental rights within the district.

At the end of the meeting, board member John Holly mentioned the possibility of a change as a potential new business topic. Holly believes the district's current policy falls short in its effort of protecting children.

Although no direct policy was mentioned at the June 20 meeting, the board discussed looking further into the matter in the coming weeks.

The school district currently has a policy entitled "Rights of Parents," which outlines that the board of education recognizes that the parents and legal guardians of each child are ultimately responsible for the care and custody of that child.

"Every parent, except as prohibited by federal and state law, shall have access to records and information pertaining to his/her unemancipated child, including, but not limited to, medical, dental, insurance, child care and educational records," the policy reads.

Jessica DeCicco, a board member, argued that the district already does its job of informing parents when something is wrong with their children.

"I will speak to this as a parent; I can tell you most certainly that when there has been an issue questioning a child's mental well-being, especially in the way of self-harm, 100 percent no matter how small the incident may be, it is absolutely required to report it to the parents," DeCicco said.

Holly, however, mentioned that the district could follow in the footsteps of other school districts and enhance the current policy to make sure that parents stay involved in every aspect of their children's lives.

Holly mentioned the neighboring school district of Hanover in his comment, stating that Long Valley should not necessarily copy its policy but rather adopt the "spirit" of the policy and adapt it to the community

Hanover Township schools tried to require teachers to disclose to parents the gender identity and sexual orientation of students.

The Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the Hanover school district in May. In this statement, NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin, a Gov. Murphy appointee, stated that what Hanover schools attempted was equivalent to "outing" LGBTQ+ teens and youth to their parents, exposing them to the risk of severe physical and mental harm, especially if parents disagree with the child's choices.

The Hanover school district responded that they are protecting parents' rights and familial privacy.

At first, the district said it would vigorously defend itself, but as of June 6, the district has rewritten its policy after Superior Court Judge Stuart Minkowitz asked both parties to come to an agreement on policy revisions while he deliberated the legality of what Hanover attempted.

Several Long Valley school board members agreed to look into the policy but insisted that the board attorney be involved in the discussions to avoid any legal issues.

"I think fair-minded people across the spectrum would agree that parents need to be involved in these situations. I think we are falling way short on that," Holly said.

District Superintendent Peter Turnamian said he supports the board reviewing the policy and potentially improving it, but he disagreed with the claim that Long Valley is falling behind in its commitment to children.

"I feel like I need to both defend and support our counselors, our teacher, our school leaders, who I work alongside and know firsthand the level of dedication they have for our students and our families. They go above and beyond every day," Turnamian said.

Holly clarified that the teachers are "fantastic and they care about the kids," but that the district's policy is inadequate and that the board has a responsibility to protect the children.