Holmdel Moderate Democrats

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"Holmdel BOE rescinds policy geared at protecting transgender students"
Asbury Park Press

[Picture inserted here ] People listen Wednesday night, September 27, 2023, during the Holmdel Board of Education meeting. They were considering whether to repeal its current student transgender policy, a move that would remove explicit protections for transgender students from the district's policy manual.

HOLMDEL – The Board of Education voted to officially rescind its transgender policy, also known as policy #5756, on Wednesday night.

Board members Peter Reddy, Terence Wall, John Buckley, Christian DiMare and Jeffrey Mann voted to rescind the policy. While board members Surekha Collur, Kimberly Tuccillo and Linda Zhang voted against rescinding the policy and board member Eileen Briamonte abstained from voting.

Policy #5756 outlines specific ways in which schools can create a “safe and supportive environment” for transgender students and avoid harassment, intimidation or bullying.

It includes guidelines on sports participation for transgender and gender nonconforming students and how schools should approach bathroom and locker room requests such as accommodating requests to use a single unisex bathroom like the nurse’s restroom.

The policy states, “there is no affirmative duty for any school district staff member to notify a student’s parent of the student’s gender identity or expression.”

Holmdel joins a handful of school districts that include Middletown, Marlboro, Manalapan-Englishtown and Colts Neck that have either voted to change or repeal its transgender policy. The Middletown, Marlboro and Manalapan-Englishtown school districts are currently being sued by the state Attorney General’s office, which argued that the new policies violate the state’s Law Against Discrimination.

What did the board members say?
DiMare, who voted to repeal the policy, said, “With the policy or not, we have a proven track record of creating a safe, supporting inclusive environment, especially for our transgender students, but (also) for all students.”

He said students can continue to go to the school’s counselors for any issues “as their first point of contract, but I’m a strong believer that, in the end, parental involvement is key.”

Holmdel Board of Education members listen to public comment during their meeting Wednesday night, September 27, 2023. They were considering whether to repeal its current student transgender policy, a move that would remove explicit protections for transgender students from the district's policy manual.

Zhang said she was against repealing the policy without another improved policy to place it.

“I don’t think we’re ready to abolish this policy,” she said.

After the vote, Collur proposed that the Board’s policy team meet on Thursday, Nov. 2 to look into a replacement policy. She said she wants the proposed replacement policy to be presented to the Board’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8 and voted on during the next two Regular Business meetings on Wednesday, Nov. 15 and Dec. 13, so that a new policy would be in place by the end of the year.

Before the vote, Collur said she believed that there is a way to unite the people who are running under the banner of parental rights and the people who fear for the safety of transgender students who live with unsupportive parents.

“I think a lot of this is just misconception,” Collur said, stating that the school is not lying to parents, keeping secrets from them or advocating and indoctrinating children to transition to another gender. She said there’s a misconception that minors could go on hormone therapy or get surgery without parental consent.

She said even for impressionable students who are “confused,” “they need an adult to talk to and if they could talk to their parents, they would talk to them.”

She said under the current policy, students who are questioning their gender identity would be directed to the school’s counselors. After meetings, the counselors eventually bridged the gap between the students and their parents.

[Pictured inserted here] Holmdel Board of Education President Peter Reddy reads a document during their meeting Wednesday night, September 27, 2023. They were considering whether to repeal its current student transgender policy, a move that would remove explicit protections for transgender students from the district's policy manual.

“The misconception here is that if there is no adult in school for the child to go to, … they would somehow fix themselves or tell the parent,” Collur said. “But that may not happen all the time. If they could tell the parent, they would have said it already. But to fix themselves, even that period of confusion, shame and guilt that they have been suffering for a few years, we can save them that, by having an adult that they can share them with.”

She said for students who know that they are transgender, “Life is not easy for a transgender kid.”

She said, “If those kids don’t have a safe adult to go to and they don’t tell their parents right away for whatever reason, then they just suffer in shame and guilt (during) their formative years. And then those years are wasted.”

Collur said she believes a compromise could be achieved that does not require immediate parental notification or prolonged periods of no parental involvement.

Who’s on the ballot?
The terms of board members Reddy, Zhang and Briamonte end this year. Reddy is the only board member seeking reelection.

Three candidates under the slogan “Parental Rights & Education” had previously spoken during public comments against Policy #5756 stating that parents need to know if their children are questioning their gender identity. The three candidates are Alison LoPresti, Anthony Libecci and Reham Taha.

Alicia Unusan, a mom with two children in the school district, said she is running as a write-in candidate along with Mathew Weisfeld.

During public comments, Unusan said Policy #5756 takes “a child-center approach and provides the district with a procedure the district can follow.”

She said the policy takes into account the child’s safety, but also allows for a possible bridge to notify parents.

“Think about the message you’re sending to the students who are part of an already marginalized student community,” Unusan said.

The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

This happened on 10/25. A large group came to support othe Transgender students, made up of clergies, rabbis, school counselors, therapists, lawyer, LGBTQIA allies, and residents. We support Transgender students in Holmdel and at everywhere.

"Holmdel BOE rescinds policy geared at protecting transgender students. "

Holmdel BOE rescinds policy geared at protecting transgender students In a 5-3 vote with one member abstaining, Holmdel's Board of Education officially rescinded its transgender policy without a replacement.

Here's the full text of the article on KATHY BAUER:

"After Democrat switches parties, another brings a challenge in Holmdel
(Asbury Park Press)

HOLMDEL – Two seats on the township committee are up for election this November.

Incumbent DJ Luccarelli is running for his second term with Joseph Romano, president of Sapient Health Management. Holmdel’s five-person committee votes for its own mayor at the start of every year and Luccarelli is Holmdel’s current mayor. He is also the owner of Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea in Newark.

Neither Luccarelli or Romano, who are running on the Republican ticket, responded to a list of questions about their background or priorities if elected to the township committee.

Romano, who had previously run as Democrat for the township committee in 2020, did not respond to questions about his switch to running on the Republican ticket.

In Luccarelli’s opening address as mayor this year, he laid out his priorities, which include building unity and fostering community pride, keeping taxes low, reducing car thefts and supporting the township’s emergency management to guarantee township safety. He also said in January that he was working on preserving the Horn Antenna. The land the Horn Antenna sits on will be turned into a park after a $5.5 million agreement with the developer Crawford Hill Holdings that was announced on Oct. 12.

The sole Democrat, Kathleen Bauer. Retired Montclair State University professor Kathleen Bauer is the sole candidate running on the Democratic ticket [Picture inserted].

She wrote in an email that she is running for the township committee because of her belief in diversity, openness and transparency.

“It is not healthy for only one party to rule the government,” she wrote.

Bauer touted her 39 years as a professor working in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, teaching, researching, publishing and directing programs. She said she spent the majority of her time at Montclair serving as deputy chair or chair of her department where she oversaw the education of over 800 students every year as well as supervise other faculty members and supporting staff.

Open Space: Monmouth County to establish new park for hikers in Marlboro and Holmdel

She said, “I negotiated contracts for the management of food and science labs and developed department policies for a safe and effective education environment.”

She said she has also volunteered as a leader of the Girl Scouts and was a member of the township’s Board of Health.

“I hope to be a voice of reason and work cooperatively with other members of the council,” she said. “I particularly would like to investigate options for improving the safety and security of our community. I am concerned about reports of car thefts in our area.”

Switching tickets
Romano had previously been elected to the Holmdel Democratic County Committee in 2020. That year he ran and lost against Luccarelli and committeeman Greg Buontempo, who is not running for reelection this year. In 2021, while still an elected member of the Holmdel Democratic County Committee, he publicly endorsed Republican Rocco Impreveduto while working on Democrat Rahul Diddi’s campaign, according to Barbara Singer, chair of the Holmdel Democratic County Committee.

Singer, who has been chair since 2020, said she has never heard of someone elected to the Holmdel Democratic County Committee who supported another party candidate when one of its own candidates were running.

She called the move unethical.

Local county committee members of both the Republican and Democratic party are required to get signatures to get on the November ballot. They represent the district they reside in.

Policy 5756:Holmdel BOE passes first vote to repeal its transgender student policy

Asbury Park Press

HOLMDEL – Two seats on the township committee are up for election this November.

Incumbent DJ Luccarelli is running for his second term with Joseph Romano, president of Sapient Health Management. Holmdel’s five-person committee votes for its own mayor at the start of every year and Luccarelli is Holmdel’s current mayor. He is also the owner of Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea in Newark.

Neither Luccarelli or Romano, who are running on the Republican ticket, responded to a list of questions about their background or priorities if elected to the township committee.

Romano, who had previously run as Democrat for the township committee in 2020, did not respond to questions about his switch to running on the Republican ticket.

In Luccarelli’s opening address as mayor this year, he laid out his priorities, which include building unity and fostering community pride, keeping taxes low, reducing car thefts and supporting the township’s emergency management to guarantee township safety. He also said in January that he was working on preserving the Horn Antenna. The land the Horn Antenna sits on will be turned into a park after a $5.5 million agreement with the developer Crawford Hill Holdings that was announced on Oct. 12.

The sole Democrat
Kathleen Bauer
Retired Montclair State University professor Kathleen Bauer is the sole candidate running on the Democratic ticket.

She wrote in an email that she is running for the township committee because of her belief in diversity, openness and transparency.

“It is not healthy for only one party to rule the government,” she wrote.

Bauer touted her 39 years as a professor working in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, teaching, researching, publishing and directing programs. She said she spent the majority of her time at Montclair serving as deputy chair or chair of her department where she oversaw the education of over 800 students every year as well as supervise other faculty members and supporting staff.

Open Space: Monmouth County to establish new park for hikers in Marlboro and Holmdel

She said, “I negotiated contracts for the management of food and science labs and developed department policies for a safe and effective education environment.”

She said she has also volunteered as a leader of the Girl Scouts and was a member of the township’s Board of Health.

“I hope to be a voice of reason and work cooperatively with other members of the council,” she said. “I particularly would like to investigate options for improving the safety and security of our community. I am concerned about reports of car thefts in our area.”

Switching tickets
Romano had previously been elected to the Holmdel Democratic County Committee in 2020. That year he ran and lost against Luccarelli and committeeman Greg Buontempo, who is not running for reelection this year. In 2021, while still an elected member of the Holmdel Democratic County Committee, he publicly endorsed Republican Rocco Impreveduto while working on Democrat Rahul Diddi’s campaign, according to Barbara Singer, chair of the Holmdel Democratic County Committee.

Singer, who has been chair since 2020, said she has never heard of someone elected to the Holmdel Democratic County Committee who supported another party candidate when one of its own candidates were running.

She called the move unethical.

Local county committee members of both the Republican and Democratic party are required to get signatures to get on the November ballot. They represent the district they reside in.

Vote for Kathy Bauer - Township Committee.
Her background is in this article.

https://www.app.com/story/news/local/2023/10/26/after-holmdel-democrat-switches-parties-another-brings-a-challenge/71306140007/?fbclid=IwAR2oNK6SIbfPjofcbaDaehLyyBm-zyQn3yLmPXRqiEsyzCUn5ssnkM9PZQU

After Democrat switches parties, another brings a challenge in Holmdel An incumbent, a retired professor and a former Democrat now running as a Republican are on the ballot this November.

Holmdel Board of Education, VOTE 3!

Please support these candidates on Nov. 9th!

Holmdel Board of Education, vote for 3:

- Peter Reddy and

- WRITE-IN: Alicia Unusan & Matthew Weisfeld.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/holmdel-hazlet/election-2023-peter-reddy-holmdel-board-education

https://patch.com/new-jersey/holmdel-hazlet/election-2022-alicia-unusan-holmdel-board-education

https://patch.com/new-jersey/holmdel-hazlet/election-2022-mathew-weisfeld-holmdel-board-education

Election 2023: Peter Reddy, Holmdel Board of Education Patch asked Board of Education candidates to share their views on the issues. Peter Reddy of Holmdel presents his ideas.

General Assembly (13th Legislative District):
Vote for only 2:

- Danielle MASTROPIERO (D)
- Paul ESCHELBACH (D)

Team | My Site We are a group of dedicated individuals who are running for New Jersey State Legislature. Our focus is on fighting for all residents of our district, including reproductive freedom for women, public safety, and helping with property tax. We have come together to stand up for you and to make a differ...

NJ State Senate 13th Legislative District.
Vote for 1 in Column 1:

Lucille LoSapio (D) Monmouth County Democrats

https://www.facebook.com/LoSapioforNJStateSenate/

Lo Sapio for NJ State Senate LD-13 Lucille has a history of social activism supporting women’s rights, voting rights & fair taxation.

Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners.
Vote for 2 in Column 1!

- Alison DENOIA (D)

- Arthur SCHLOSSBACH (D)

Arthur Schlossbach & Alison De Noia For Monmouth County Commissioner | Home Elect Arthur Schlossbach & Alison De Noia for Monmouth County Commissioner

For Township Committee, elect:

KATHLEEN D. BAUER (D) in Column 1.

Primary 2023 Holmdel: Ways To Vote, Who's On The Ballot The primary election is June 6. The local primaries are uncontested in Holmdel. But check out our voter guide before you cast your ballot.