A BOE candidate's denial of an endorsement is not the end of the story

Recently, three candidates from the Hoboken Board of Education, Pavel Sokolov, Donna Magen and Cindy Wiegand, running under the “Kids First” motto, announced that they were disavowing an endorsement from the “New Jersey Project,” a radical right-wing entity that has been endorsing and supporting hundreds of candidates throughout the State of New Jersey. The organization is spearheaded by Nicole Stouffer, Kristen Sinclair, Eric Simkin and Michael Gleisberg. Nicole Stouffer is also an administrator of the “NJ Fresh Faced Schools” Facebook page along with many others and uses numerous Facebook aliases.

As a retired attorney and public education advocate, I formed the “New Jersey Coalition for Public Education” in April of this year to provide education and information to help parents level the playing field against a well-funded and well organized national effort to introduce a radical right-wing minority agenda into our public schools. We have thorough researched the entire school board issue and have documented evidence regarding the “players” and the attacks on our school boards.

As a result of our efforts, we were able to expose the true nature of the New Jersey Project as well as other organizations of its ilk. Information about the New Jersey Project can be found on the Coalition Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/njc4ppe) and the “New Jersey Project Exposed” Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/njpexpose).

As a result of the efforts and the public learning the true nature of the New Jersey Project, many endorsed candidates have asked for their names to be removed from the endorsed list, no longer wanting to be associated with the organization. So many that one of the founders, Michael Gleisberg felt it necessary to post an appeal for candidates to remain endorsed. (See photo)

But just because a candidate claims not to know the organization, or not know about the endorsement or disavows the endorsement, that is not the end of the story. As Ms. Stouffer explains in her own words (See photo), this is how the endorsement process works:

1) One of their scouts/volunteers found the candidate(s);

2) The candidate(s) was/were asked questions;

3) They vetted the candidate(s);

4) They decided that the candidate(s) met their criteria to support;

5) They decided to endorse and support your candidate(s).

So despite the indication being made now by Ms. Stouffer that they endorsed candidates without speaking to them, her own words tell the truth.

To the best of our knowledge, every endorsed candidate was contacted and aware of the endorsement and based upon this fact, Hoboken candidates Pavel Sokolov, Donna Magen, and Cindy Wiegand must have been aware of the endorsement. And they gladly kept it until the New Jersey Project was exposed for what it truly is – a right-wing hate group. That is when these candidates decided to distance themselves from the organization, like rats fleeing a sinking ship.

So what positions does the New Jersey Project take and what is their agenda?

1) They are Anti-diversity & inclusion.

2) They are Pro-voucher taking your taxpayer money away from public schools and giving it to parents who want to send their children to private school. Leaving you the taxpayer to fill the budget gap.

3) They fight the new health & fitness mandate which could result in the loss of state funding. Leaving you the taxpayer to fill the budget gap.

4) They Believe and spread conspiracy theories about satanic cults & pedophiles.

5) They want to Whitewash American History.

6) They want “home rule” causing loss of state and federal funding. Leaving you the taxpayer to fill the budget gap.

7) They want to divide parents and teachers and vilify teachers, calling teachers pedophiles and groomers.

8) They complain about increase in non-English speaking students.

But prove it to yourself. Go to the Facebook page for New Jersey Project (https://www.facebook.com/groups/newjerseyproject) and New Jersey Fresh Faced Schools (https://www.facebook.com/groups/475978033461541).

Then ask yourself, “Do I want a BOE member for Hoboken who has had any association with a group of this type?

It is for you to decide.