Wayne BOE President Considers Charges At Raucous, Profane Meeting

WAYNE, NJ — Parents within the Wayne Public Schools District have been agitated and on-edge in recent months, leading to impassioned debate at meetings about masking, critical race theory and, most recently, what a group of residents described as "pornographic" literature.

Critical race theory isn't being taught in the district, and masking policy comes from the state level, but parents came prepared with books in hand to the board's latest meeting, which eventually spiraled into chaos.

Videos published by TapInto show the meeting eventually being consumed by shouting.

"There are teenagers with strap-ons," shouts one resident, Pamela Macek, into a microphone.

The book in question is called "Gender Queer", which, according to Macek, is among a small group of books that can be found in libraries throughout the district depicting sexual themes.

Things took a turn for the strange, and potentially troubling, at this point. Board members called for police to try and reign in Macek, and at one point, according to TapInto, a man from the crowd leveled a threat against Board President Cathy Kazan.

Kazan, according to TapInto, responded by saying that she would drive to police headquarters to file a report. NorthJersey.com confirmed that a report was filed, and said Kazan is considering pressing charges.

Watch two videos from TapInto below:

This is far from the first instance of parents in Wayne showing up for board meetings ready for a shouting match.

In August, residents showed up to meetings in an effort to overturn the masking guidance in the district, a measure handed down from Gov. Phil Murphy's office.

The board initially said they would send a letter to the governor asking that he revoke the mandate, but eventually reversed course after opposition formed in the days following the meeting.

Read more: Mask Mandate Appeal Voted Down By Wayne School Board

The Wayne Education Association, in response to the tense meetings and environment, sent an open letter to parents and the school community recently asking for a reprieve from "vitriol".

"Do not misunderstand: we are not suggesting that no one has the right to advocate for the causes they feel passionately about," officials wrote.

"But we are calling for an end to the vitriol that has gripped our communities, our state and our nation. We may have many differences, but the one thing we all have in common is our desire to do right by our children. They deserve to have all the adults in their lives treat each other with respect and tolerance, and anything less fails them."

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