TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—The Westwood Education Association (WEA) plans to “converge on the Board of Education meeting tonight to urge the board to stop sharing false information on the health and physical education curriculum content taught to students.” Citing numerous comments made by various board members at last month’s meeting, the WEA said it is “taking issue with the disinformation being spread.”
The Westwood Regional Board of Education meets on Thursday, April 27 at 7 p.m. in the Campbell Auditorium in the high school. This meeting will include the annual budget hearing (here’s a link to the whole agenda). If you would like to watch the live stream of the meeting on YouTube, you can click here.
“Last month, an absolutely and unequivocally false narrative was created by members of this board, accompanied by an attack and unfounded accusations levied against our members,” said WEA President Christopher Pinto in a press release sent to Pascack Press the morning of April 27. “This attack involved an accusation that our elementary health and physical education teachers have created their own lessons about different types of family structures. Let me be clear: No curriculum was modified or added.”
At root of the issue is the third-grade health curriculum, which uses an educator and administration-vetted, board-approved textbook. In the textbook, there is a lesson on different types of families, with one type of family listed as one where a child may have “two moms” or “two dads.” Last year, a parent of a second-grade student complained about the reference. “This parent is now a sitting board of education member,” said Pinto.
“As a public school, our role is respect and acknowledge each other’s differences,” Pinto continued. “We must promote acceptance, and—through acceptance—we must work to have the students we are charged to oversee learn how to be productive members of the community, regardless of age, race, creed, gender, gender expression or sexual orientation—of either the student or the parent.”
WEA members cite 18A 12-24.1, which outlines the Code of Ethics for School Board Members, to point out the board’s responsibility—and overreach—on the matter.
“The statute is firm: Board members are expected to develop and maintain public schools which meet the individual needs of all students,” Pinto said. “They are also expected to provide accurate information that does not seek to harm others. Clearly, there are members of this board whose actions are in violation of this code of ethics.”
Pinto said, “Despite the clear microaggression against the LGBTQ community and unnecessary chaos that has been created in the wake of the board’s behavior, Pinto and his fellow WEA members believe there is a way for this issue to be put to rest.”
He said, “The Board has the opportunity to make this right. To begin, the Westwood Education Association demands it makes a public apology to our members, who have given so much of themselves to all the students in this district. Second, and more importantly, instead of worrying about policies that restrict open-minded and accepting views, the board should work to make Westwood a place which attracts others to work and live here.”
Pinto’s page on the district website says the 2022-23 school year is his 11th in the Westwood Regional School District.
We have reached out to board president Michael Pontillo of Westwood for comment, and will revise this story as needed.