Parents Call for Board of Education to Do More to Call Out Acts of Antisemitism, Racism in Schools

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Residents spoke out at the Sept. 24 board of education meeting about combatting antisemitism and racism in the schools, and implored the board to take action now to identify it and work to prevent it.

Bridgewater resident Matthew Bergman, who had spoken before the board in the past, again brought up the concerns of antisemitism in the schools.

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“I’m here to wish you a better year than last year,” he said. “Over the last year, antisemitism in the whole country has risen over 300% as per the ADL, and as per the FBI, antisemitic hate crimes have risen over 60%.”

He and his son spoke last school year about acts of antisemitism at Eisenhower Intermediate, and swastikas found in the bathroom.

He said Sept. 24 that action is needed to amend the school district’s harassment-intimidation-bullying (HIB) policy to include types of hate like antisemitism, race-based hate and more in an effort to ensure accurate reporting of incidents and to help inform the authorities.

“Until it is asked to be named specifically, we can’t hope to grow as a community,” he said. “This year needs to be different. Don’t ignore the numbers and lump them with other types of bullying. We as minority parents deserve to have our voices heard and action taken in our town.”

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He added that he had asked the board to amend the policy at the end of the previous school year, and said he was happy to help provide solutions.

Bridgewater resident Isha Williams, who had also spoken publicly before the board in May and June, brought up the need for an increase in education and programming involving student inclusion in the district, and helping the board “support our students.”

She said she would like to see the board take definitive action and increase programming for inclusion and belonging, and also said there is a clear opportunity to apply such a program on an immediate basis.

“I’m asking the board to prioritize (its) efforts to ensure this character-building programming is embedded consistently across the district, is applied across the intermediate, middle and high schools and is used frequently across our schools,” she said.

She said she would like to see the board apply HIB strictures consistently, and said there are four educational consultants in New Jersey who could provide and prioritize related training to school districts across the state.

“It’s critical this board lead from the front to prioritize this development for yourselves as much as we all agree we need do it for our students, especially with a board that is not fully representative of our student population,” said Williams. “I want all students to feel a sense of inclusion.”

Resident Jessica Edelstein spoke on behalf of her husband to thank superintendent of schools Robert Beers for inviting him to join a planned antisemitism task force, which they had hoped would be launched last school year.

“We’re still eagerly awaiting its launch,” she said.

She said she hopes, once started, that the task force will create a safer, more inclusive environment in the schools.

Resident Cynthia Paul, who has been a member of the community for 15 years, said she is grateful that her children feel safe and have a diverse group of friends, but that antisemitic and racist words and gestures have been seen and heard at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, and that she has already spoken with Beers and other administrators.

“More work needs to be done,” said Paul. “We need to call out specifically what hate is. If something is anti-semitic, we need to call it anti-semitic. If something is racist, xenophobic or homophobic, we need to call it out using those words.”

She said she would ask this year that this rhetoric is called out and parents are made aware that it is occurring so it can be addressed at home and in the schools.

“We cannot hide behind blanketed terms,” she said.

After the public session ended, Beers said he was grateful that people “took the time to share their thoughts with us.”

“Personally, and as a district, we continue to fight for the needs all the members of our school community,” he said. “Specifically, I do, and I know the board does, hold the motto of this school, one and all sacred, and we look to uphold these principles for all of our stakeholders, especially our children.”

He said that things aren’t perfect, and that in a district of 8,000, incidents do happen, but he also cautioned the public that the district is dealing with children, particularly when it comes to calls to involve law enforcement. He said that multiple connections have been made with members of the community, with their feedback used to shape district programming through surveys and other conversations, and that he is proud of the progress made in moving forward.

The superintendent then ran down a list of the district’s HIB implementations and improvements recently, including a revised code of conduct and additional training to codify actions that are racist, anti-semitic and homophobic in nature; teaching students about social awareness, and proper ways to act; providing character education in health; and using district goals for inclusion, among others.

He said he does read HIB reports, and, as a father himself, is sometimes taken aback by what he reads. He said that “connective tissue” needs to be developed, along with emphasizing “humanity and goodwill,” and working towards those goals.

After his comments, which were made once the public comment had been closed, several members of the public began speaking out, trying to respond to Beers’s comments or ask questions.

School board president Barry Walker told the audience that the time for public speaking was over, and that the board would not engage in a back-and-forth discussion, later bringing down the gavel when the calls for comment continued.

School board member Lucy Li made a motion to reopen public comment, but no one on the board seconded the motion and it was discarded.

Walker later apologized for his outburst, but said that as board president, he needed to control the meetings and have everyone remain civil.

School board vice president Jennifer Loughran asked how the board could possibly change HIB policy if it was mandated by the state. She discussed bringing the matter up legislatively, particularly with the deadline for the Delegate Assembly of the New Jersey School Boards Association approaching in October, and asked about introducing it next spring instead.

Loughran told the public the policy is “very confusing,” and that in her opinion, it is not about issues of HIB, but to “report discriminatory and biased behavior,” and that it is labeled as such. She also spoke of what the board was capable of doing from a legislative perspective.

School board member Steven Singer suggested looking at old records to see what has been discussed in the past, and agreed that it is more about discriminatory and bias law than bullying. Board member A.J. Joshi said that perhaps they should take the matter up with the state legislature after the delegate assembly, calling it “a bigger deal” than just a district issue.

Walker added that there are multiple avenues of advocacy, and that the HIB is law written by legislators. He also called it “flawed in its design,” despite being a good idea, and that board members could reach out to legislators individually or as a board, and also to other school boards.

As for a resolution, which would set policy. he said there is no reason to wait, and that HIB was also a part of the code of conduct, although no new decisions regarding policy were made.

“It’s something to think about,” said Walker.

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