Sparta Board of Education to Discuss Dress Code for Members Following MAGA Hat Controversy UPDATED – TAPinto.net

SPARTA, NJ- Some members of the Sparta Board of Education are seeking to have a policy to address board member attire at board meetings. It appears board member Kurt Morris choice of wearing a Make America Great Again hat to the July board of education meeting has spurred the issue.

At the August meeting in Mohawk Avenue School, board member Kylen Anderson asked to have a policy addressing political attire at the board table.

I would like to propose that the board institute a policy that board members should refrain from wearing anything with political commentary at the board table, Anderson said. I think it is distracting. I think it is in poor taste. I think it takes away from the reason we are here.

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Initially board of education president Kim Bragg said it would be referred to the Policy and Personnel committee but on advice of board counsel Mark Zitomer, she polled board members first to determine whether or not a majority wished to do so.

Board member Kate Matteson asked if board policy had been reviewed since the July meeting to see if it addresses wearing political attire at the dais. Bragg said it had not been discussed in committee because she was waiting to get advice from the boards attorney.

Anderson, Jen Grana, Niamh Grano, Matteson and Jay Ventresca all said they would like to discuss having policy governing board member attire at the next committee meeting.

In the straw poll, Grana and Grano proposed a policy that took a broader look at proposing appropriate attire in general taking into consideration the first amendment and all that stuff.

Board member Robert Zywicki said he thought the board of education should be focused on getting the kids back in school as safely and as swiftly as possible with the teachers. Anything else is a distraction from that right now.

Bragg said she also felt this is something that could wait, but the vote supported the topic being discussed in committee.

Board of education members received a letter from 36 people that said a photo and several corroborating eyewitnesses documented a board member wore at TRUMP [sic] hat. They said they were beyond disappointed to learn this, acknowledging they were not at the meeting.

The letter refers to Morris as the accused board member and said while he has been reasonably identified, they asked the board member himself and the board of education president both respond publicly with acknowledgement and ownership.

Further, this group said they want the board members to adhere to stricter standards and procedures in the future.

In an emailed response to the community members who sent the letter regarding Morris hat, Bragg said, Mr. Morris choice is protected under the First Amendment. As such I have no authority over what he or any board member wears. Sparta Board of Education policy regarding dress code only applies to staff and students because students are considered to be a captive audience when in school. This is very different than a public board meeting which is a forum that is open to everyone.

The letter from community members accuses Morris of having violated New Jersey Code of Ethics for school board members. They said they had discussed filing a complaint but decided to wait for the board of education to address it.

Morris, speaking as an individual not representing the board of education, said he was advised by Zitomer that there was no ethics violation, nor was there a policy violation because there is no policy that discusses what board members wear.

After conferring with our attorney, I wish to explain that wearing a hat which supports the President or any political party is not an ethics violation, Bragg said. The Code of Ethics prohibits members from surrendering their independent judgement to partisan political groups. Wearing the hat of a political party is very different than surrendering ones independent judgement. Rather, it is protected speech under the First Amendment.

a public board of education meeting is no place for personal, political statements, motivations or gains, the letter from community members said. While we may debate whether there are negative implications that apply far beyond the scope of politics with this particular choice of garb, we ask that ALL [emphasis included] political symbols and logos are banned from any future BOE meetings going forward.

The people who signed the letter include: Kaitlin and Aaron Gagnon, Robert and Suz Stone, Erin Moore, Ellie Hartranft, Anne ODair, Heather Scott-Mason, Kimberly and Kevin Barresi, Kate Saelma, Victoria Bustamante, Kailee Gori, Fallon Villamor, Dorota Ellington, Jessica LaGrave, Emily Shuss, Erin Lambert, Kelly and Chris Lapp, Amy and George Ryan, Amy Henrie, Julie Knapp, Dana Gulino, Kate and DJ Fresso, Julia and Jim Kelly, Joanne Stott-Derby, Kimberly Noel, Vanessa Walsh, Beth and Paul Hughes, Pat Schutz and Michele Van Allen (BOE of Hardyston)

Kaitlin Gagnon said in an interview with TAPinto Sparta they "would hope the same standards apply for the other end of the political spectrum." She said the purpose of their letter was that they did not want ahat or any political attire to be a distraction and this was explained in subsequentemails to the board of education members.

"Humbly, we hope a new standard can be developed," Gagnon said. "We hope it can be resolved quickly."

Morris personally received an additional email from Henrie, sent to his personal email address. Also speaking as an individual and not representing the board of education, Morris said in his response to her, I have never, nor would I ever surrender my independent judgement to partisan political groups. He concluded his response by asking that you judge my performance as a Sparta Board of Education member based on the votes I have made and the questions I have asked at the board table, not on the hat I wear.

Morris did not share the email from Henrie with TAPinto Sparta.

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Sparta Board of Education to Discuss Dress Code for Members Following MAGA Hat Controversy UPDATED - TAPinto.net