February 19, 2025
Unsettling findings from New Jersey in recent weeks have brought attention to persistent discrimination problems in educational institutions.
In one instance, the family of a transgender teenager in Bergen County is suing the Demarest Board of Education, claiming that school authorities have harassed and neglected the student for years.
A contentious suspension of a student-run Palestinian advocacy group has also occurred at Glassboro’s Rowan University.
The intricate relationship between discrimination, student rights, and institutional accountability in the modern educational setting is clarified by these two cases.
A troubling account of bullying and isolation that reportedly went unchecked for years is presented in the complaint that the family of a transgender teenager filed against the Demarest Board of Education.
At County Roads School, the girl, who had undergone a rapid gender transformation, was subjected to constant bullying and social rejection.
The lawsuit claims that the bullying started soon after she started first grade in September 2016 and got worse as she started middle school.
She was allegedly harassed by students using disparaging terms like freak and odd, both in person and on social media.
The family reportedly reported the abuse repeatedly, but school officials allegedly did nothing significant to address it.
Verbal harassment was only one aspect of the discrimination. It has been alleged that the girl was excluded from group activities, shoved in the halls, and isolated during lunch periods.
In 2023, one of the most terrifying events was when a student threw ice cream at her and cursed at her.
Teachers and school officials allegedly neglected to step in or provide assistance on several occasions.
According to the lawsuit, students made faces and laughed at the child when she sang at a Christmas concert, and the middle school administration declined to assist her after she was harassed during a volleyball match.
This ongoing bullying has a severe emotional toll. According to the lawsuit, the girl’s mental health declined, and because of the distress she was going through, antidepressants were administered.
Her parents claim that when they contacted the district administrator, they were treated with apathy because they were dissatisfied with the lack of reaction from school officials.
They claim that the superintendent’s contemptuous reply was, “I don’t care.”
The Demarest Board of Education, however, disputes any misconduct, claiming that the district complies with New Jersey’s statutes pertaining to bullying and harassment and takes appropriate disciplinary action when called for.
The lawyer for the school board has vehemently denied the allegations in the complaint and pledged a strong defense.
The family’s lawyer, however, is certain that the evidence will show that the school failed to protect their daughter.
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student organization dedicated to Palestinian activism, was suspended from Rowan University, which has since become mired in its own controversy throughout the state.
The incident started when the group distributed an event poster featuring a masked person brandishing a slingshot, a symbol associated with Palestinian youth resistance.
Some people of the community were outraged by the poster, especially Make NJ Red, a conservative group.
The administration at Rowan University received thousands of complaints from the student organization, which was accused of encouraging terrorism and violence.
In response, Rowan administrators temporarily suspended the group, preventing them from using university funds and campus space.
SJP leaders contend the suspension was arbitrary and unjustified, while the university has pointed to an ongoing investigation into the issue.
They contend that rather than endorsing violence, the poster’s imagery alluded to Palestinian teenagers hurling slingshots against Israeli military tanks.
SJP believes that malicious opposition and unfounded allegations were the cause of the complaint-driven suspension.
The student group has expressed outrage over the suspension, seeing it as an attempt to muzzle its advocacy and stifle free speech.
They have pledged to challenge the ban, claiming that the institution did not adequately look into the concerns before rendering its judgment.
However, Rowan University has insisted that it must retain objectivity throughout the inquiry, highlighting its dedication to justice and honesty.
These instances highlight the difficulties educational institutions encounter in resolving intricate matters pertaining to harassment, discrimination, and free speech.
The verdicts in both cases will probably establish significant guidelines for how colleges and universities respond to claims of discrimination and students’ freedom of speech.