Election Editorial

This year, the New Jersey Attorney General took school boards to court to stop them from alerting parents about whether their child is suffering from gender confusion or other sexual identity issues.

In Wayne, during a formal Board of Education meeting, current board member former and past board president, Cathy Kazan, asked residents not to vote for a pro-parent candidate for the board. Her target was a parent who two years ago spoke in support of another parent who was concerned about the age-appropriateness of a book entitled Gender Queer. Her use of her board platform during a board meeting raised ethical concerns among the parents present.

Ms. Kazan is not running for re-election this year. Rather, her buddy, former board member Suzanne Pudup, is running instead. Pudup, who was defeated for re-election last year, was Kazan's vice president when the concerned parent was stopped from speaking in 2021.

Later that year, Kazan and Pudup refused to attend a key October board meeting in order to defeat the quorum. More than 100 parents and teachers were stood up that evening by the Kazan/Pudup team. A unique opportunity for both sides to hear each other's concerns was missed.

Now more than ever, Wayne parents, and those throughout New Jersey, need a voice. Fortunately, three pro-parent candidates are running in Wayne in tomorrow's election. They are Wendy Limandri in the #2 ballot position, Mark Faber in the #3 slot, and veteran board member Don Pavlak in the #5 spot. Limandri and Faber are bracketed on the ballot running over the slogan CHILDREN FIRST! 

#2  Wendy Limandri , #3  Mark Faber, and #5  Don Pavlak

Last week, Wayne Board of Education Trustee Catherine Kazan took advantage of the Trustee Comments portion of the BOE meeting to attack a colleague, voters and a parent who is running for the Board in the upcoming election.

BOE Trustee Catherine Kazan is seen here lecturing parents after a Board meeting last year.

Mrs. Kazan first set her sights on the board's Vice President Harry Prassakos with whom she disagreed on a proposed new mental health program. The program, offered by the state, would extend free mental health care to students and parents. Mr. Prassakos had questions about the initiative and ultimately abstained from approving the program until he could get more detailed information. 

At the opening of her Trustee Comment, Kazan stated: "I don't understand why any Board member sitting up here in the middle of a mental health crisis than we've ever had would abstain on free services for mental health."

Harry looked up, seemingly surprised at the gratuitous attack. Kazan continued. "But since Mr. Prassakos has chosen not to tell us why, we'll just have to wonder."

The mild-mannered Prassakos responded by saying: "The personal and surreptitious insults by Mrs. Kazan continue. I don't know why she chooses to continue to attack me, but I will avoid any ethical violations and won't really comment."

On the mental health proposal, Mr. Prassakos pointed out that as a board member, as a taxpayer, and as a father of four children in the school system, he has "every right to ask for more details of any new program or partnership." 

Trustee Kazan then turned her ire at Wayne Township voters and parents who have been critical of her tenure.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has filed a lawsuit against the Hanover Township Board of Education to stop the implementation of a policy that requires parents to be notified if school personnel find that their children are facing issues related to "sexual activity; sexuality; sexual orientation; transitioning; gender identity or expression."   

These five issues are among a total of 34 issues that were identified by the BOE policy as running the risk of materially impacting "the student's physical and/or mental health, safety and/or social/emotional well-being." 

The 34 issues range from something as simple as tobacco use to life-threatening self-harm and suicide. The state's lawsuit is only opposing parental notification on the sexual issues.

Hanover Township's is a kindergarten through eighth grade school system.  Typically, such systems serve children from age 5 to age 13.

The Hanover BOE vowed to "vigorously defend" what they see as a "common-sense policy that protects parental rights and ensures the safety of all school children." 

After the November 8 school board election, the lame duck Wayne Board of Education (BOE) seemed bound and determined to amend or extend the employment contract of the Wayne Township School District Superintendent, Mark Toback, even though the contract wouldn't end for another year-and-a-half. After a variety of fits and starts, the issue of the contract seemed to disappear.  What happened?

An investigation by the Education Harbinger has determined that the answer may lie with the New Jersey law governing such superintendent contract changes. The investigation found that what happened in Wayne was quite surprising.

Two years of hard work by concerned parents in Wayne Township has produced a new Board of Education.

In 2020, COVID-19 created a pandemic that ultimately would take the lives of millions around the world. Businesses, government offices and schools were closed down in an effort to reduce the spread of the disease. As students began taking classes online, parents across the country gained a firsthand glimpse of what their children were being taught.

Parents in Wayne Township, New Jersey, grew especially concerned with what they saw. One parent, who grew up in the communist Czech Republic, witnessed a social studies teacher telling her elementary school students that the American Constitution was authored by "white supremacists."

That summer, others followed news stories of shootings, arson and riots by radical leftist groups such as Antifa in American cities. Other parents were concerned about the appearance of books in Wayne school libraries containing graphic cartoons of oral sex acts.

It all started exactly one week before the recent and hotly contested Wayne Board of Education election.

On November 1, Board Secretary William P. Moffit issued a 30-day "PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO AMEND AND/OR ALTER SUPERINTENDENT'S CONTRACT." The Notice stated that the Board will be taking formal action on Superintendent Mark Toback's contract on at its December 1st meeting.

Nothing in the Notice said what changes were being made. Many people were confused because Dr. Toback's current contract doesn't expire for another year-and-a-half. "So, why change now?" said one parent.

The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) spent heavily in Wayne Township to aid its three endorsed candidates in the recent Wayne Township Board of Education election. All three lost to a pro-parent team running under the slogan "Children First!" The NJEA team ran under the slogan "United Not Divided."

The NJEA spent what appears to be a record amount of money on the UNITED candidates. The state union was joined in this effort by the local teachers' union, the Wayne Education Association (WEA). The WEA contributed $5,500.00 directly to the UNITED joint campaign fund. The NJEA donated a total of $24,600.00 under its own name to the fund.

The NJEA also provided help to their endorsed candidates by using a front group called "Garden State Forward." Under New Jersey law, such front groups are considered "Independent Expenditures Committees."

Such front groups/committees are permitted to spend large sums of money on candidates without disclosing where the committee itself got the money. They are not permitted to coordinate with the favored candidates' campaigns and the advertising bought with the committee's dollars must contain a "disclaimer" giving the name and address of the committee and a statement that the committee followed the law.

This is the disclaimer that was used on four full-color mailers sent to Wayne voters by the NJEA front group Garden State Forward. The address on the disclaimer is the same address as the NJEA's Trenton headquarters. Four such mailers were sent out at a cost estimated to be about $8,000.00 for each.

In addition to mailers, the NJEA front group paid for online advertising. The design, printing and mailing cost for each flyer is estimated to be about $8,000.00. If this estimate is correct, and the internet advertising and $24,600.00 direct contribution are factored in, NJEA's total contribution to their Wayne candidates may exceed $60,000.00. Such spending would be a record for a Wayne Township BOE election.

Despite being outspent as much as ten-to-one by the NJEA and its candidates, the "Children First!" team of concerned parents, Barbara Rigoglioso and Ryan Battershill, won a decisive victory in the Wayne Board of Education election Tuesday. Rigoglioso led all candidates with a very impressive 8,341 votes. Battershill was close behind in second place with 7,508 votes.

There were eight candidates running for three seats on the board. Also elected was Matthew Giordano, the third-place finisher, with 5,631 votes.

This is the second consecutive year that concerned parents were elected to the school board. Last year Michael Fattal, Harry Prassakos, and Iveta Wentink, running on the slogan "Education First," took all three slots. This year, only two concerned parents bracketed together. A third parent, Wilson Alequin, ran independently finishing in seventh place with 3,906 votes. Cindy Simon, a highly regarded former board member, received 3,244 votes. 

Ryan Battershill (left) and Barbara Rigoglioso (center)- #2 and #3 on the ballot are running on the "Children First!" team.  Also pictured is Wilson Alequin (right) who is running independently - #5 on the ballot.

Three parent advocates are running for the Wayne school board on Tuesday. They hope to give voice to parent concerns on the Township's Board of Education. They are: Ryan Battershill and Barbara Rigoglioso running on the "Children First!" team and Wilson Alequin who is running independently.

After closely observing all eight of the candidates over the last eighteen months, Education Harbinger Magazine is endorsing Battershill, Rigogloso, and Alequin. Wayne parents and neighbors can trust these pro-parent candidates. Here's why. . . .

The leadership of the NJEA thinks that "Teaching is Political," and the leadership of the Wayne Education Association (WEA) wants to help their cause. Two days ago, BOE candidates Jacob Van Lunen, Suzanne Pudup, and Stacey Scher filed an amended joint report of campaign contributions and expenditures.

One part of the report was shocking. It appears that their entire campaign is being funded by the state and local teachers' unions. There are no contributions from anybody who lives in Wayne.

Schedule 1 of the report discloses $30,600.00 in campaign contributions. they are as follows:

• $5,500.00 from the "CAE" (Committee for Academic Excellence established by the Wayne Education Association -- WEA)
• $8,200.00 from the NJEA (originally listed as a donation to Jacob Van Lunen)
• $8,200.00 from the NJEA (originally listed as a donation to Suzanne Pudup)
• $8,200.00 from the NJEA (originally omitted from the first report but thought to represent a donation to Stacey Scher)
• The total amount also included what appears to be a $500.00 donation from Ms. Pudup. However, there was also a disbursement to Ms. Pudup of $2,969.86 as reimbursement for business cards and flyers, so it is unclear whether the original $500.00 from Ms. Pudup was a donation or a loan to the campaign.

These contributions are the only ones listed on the UNITED for WAYNE BOE report. In other words, not one dime came from anyone in Wayne -- no parents, no neighbors in Wayne. Moreover, this $36,600 was only the beginning.

At least four full-color mailers have been sent to voters in Wayne by an independent expenditure front group for the NJEA called "Garden State Forward." It is estimated that each mailer costs about $8,000.00 to print and mail.  The return address on the flyers is the same as NJEA headquarters in Trenton.

Page 4 of 7 of the UNITED FOR WAYNE BOE report. No contributions came from anyone in Wayne.

The NJEA's enormous investment in a single suburban town is unprecedented.  The NJEA is considered one of the strongest and most effective lobbyists in Trenton. Meanwhile, the pro-parent candidates Ryan Battershill and Barbara Rigogloso are spending only a small fraction of the money being laid out by the Trenton powerhouse.