Middletown School Board Reviews New Sex-Ed Curriculum Mandates

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — At the Middletown school board meeting Monday night, a woman who not only works in the schools but also has a child enrolled, spoke before the Board and said she had some concerns about new sex-ed curriculum being taught in New Jersey schools.

"I find it disturbing on a lot of levels that our children — and our teachers — are expected to speak about some of this stuff," said Ann Marie Lusquinos, a school speech pathologist and also the parent of a Middletown sixth grader. "It's just disturbing. When I was in school, phys. ed. and health was taking care of yourself and exercising and driver's ed ... and that was the highlight."

What this mom is referring to is this new set of Health & Physical Education learning standards the state Department of Education released last year. The state says these topics must now be taught in New Jersey public schools.

The new education mandates are extensive, and include a range of topics such as: Breast self-exam education in grades 7-12, cancer awareness, bullying, dating violence education for grades 7-12, domestic violence, organ donation, abstinence education, suicide awareness, the history and historical accomplishments of disabled and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, African-American accomplishments, Safe Haven laws and teaching students about seeing sexual images electronically (sexting, pornography, etc.)

But the following — which are taken directly from the new state guidelines — seem to have sparked the most push-back from New Jersey parents:

• "Discuss the range of ways people express their gender and how gender-role stereotypes may limit behavior" by the end of second grade.
• By the end of fifth grade, teachers should "explain common human sexual development and the role of hormones (e.g., romantic and sexual feelings, masturbation, mood swings, timing of pubertal onset)."
• By the end of eighth grade, students should be able to "define vaginal, oral and anal sex."
• "Describe pregnancy testing, the signs of pregnancy, and pregnancy options, including parenting, abortion and adoption" by the end of eighth grade.
• By the end of senior year, students should have had discussions with their teachers about safe sex practices, abstinence, Safe Haven laws, adoption and abortion.

(Parent who would like to fully understand the new requirements really should take the time to read the entire 66-page document from the Dept. of Education. These curriculum changes were pushed by Gov. Phil Murphy's administration; under Murphy, climate change will also start being taught in NJ K-12 schools.)

In Toms River, parents are similarly upset, but the state Department of Education says the district cannot opt out of the curriculum requirements, which are mandated by state law.

"The inclusion of such material is not optional," a DOE spokesperson told the Toms River Patch reporter.

The state mandated the new curriculum start being taught in NJ schools by Sept. 2022.

"I know this is coming down from the state, but I think as members of the community we need to be more aware of what's being taught in our classrooms," continued the mom. "And does the general population of parents know about this? I know half the people I know have no idea this is even on the radar on what could be taught to our children."

"This is mandatory," stressed Middletown schools superintendent Mary Ellen Walker at the meeting Monday night. "Our staff has been trained to give the lessons appropriately, for the age level."

"It's mandatory, but changes can be made," countered Board member Frank Capone, who is often at odds with superintendent Walker. He said it was his understanding that parents could opt their child out of a health/phys. ed. curriculum they disagreed with or did not think was appropriate, but Middletown assistant superintendent Patrick Rinella said in the meeting he could not immediately confirm that.

Middletown's local Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R-NJ 13) has been highly critical of the new curriculum, saying last month: "Am I against teaching anal sex to elementary school students? Of course. This is insanity to me; let children be children. These are topics better left to the parents. The place for discussions like this is between a parent and a child."

In order to comply with the new requirements, the school board has to pass a curriculum policy, which is basically Middletown's version of the state guidelines. You can read the policy here: https://www.middletownk12.org/...

The Board has to vote to adopt the policy, but on Monday night they decided to table it instead.

Capone was not immediately free to speak to Patch Thursday afternoon and Jackie Tobacco, head of the Policy Committee, did not immediately return our call.

However, Board member Barry Heffernan had the following to say Thursday:

"As the parent of three children, I was equally alarmed by this new curriculum when I learned about it a few months ago," he said. "But I sat down and met with our administration and as a Board member, I feel our teachers are handling this the best way they can. I genuinely feel like our teachers have the best intentions with these conversations, and have a good grasp of it."

"However, we don't sit in on every classroom," he added.

As part of that same policy, the Middletown BOE will also allow prayer in public schools, in accordance with state and federal law. See page 1 of the policy: https://www.middletownk12.org/...

The Middletown Board of Ed. will next meet at 6 p.m. Nov. 22, again at the library. The public portion begins at 8 p.m.

Watch the Nov. 15 Middletown BOE meeting here; the sex-ed discussion starts at the 2:25 mark:

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