Franklin Lakes school board chooses 'parents' rights' duo for top posts
FRANKLIN LAKES — Their recent stance on the state's transgender education policy contributed to two "parents' rights" borough school board members being appointed president and vice president.
Ari Donio, who was elected to the board in 2021 and served as vice president last year, was named president by his colleagues at the reorganization meeting on Jan. 4. Donio's running mate, Scott Loia, also elected in 2021, was appointed vice president.
Donio and Loia were among those who voted on a preliminary basis in December to eliminate Policy 5756, under the state's Law Against Discrimination, along with Kathryn D'Agostino, Lisa Cardella and Carolina Severino.
Loia said he did not "buy into this gender nonsense" during the December 2023 meeting where the preliminary vote to eliminate the policy was taken.
Both board officers were approved by a vote of 5-1. They had no challengers and were voted in by Donio, Loia, D'Agostino, Cardella and newly elected trustee SeWhan Kim. Trustee Ryan Richman, just reelected to a new term, abstained in both votes.
Absent from the meeting were Severino, last year's President Elisa Billis and trustee Rob Spiotti.
Donio and Loia did not immediately respond to requests for comments on their election, or its significance in the upcoming policy vote. Other board members did not respond to requests for comment or the reasons for the way they voted.
Transgender vote
Donio, an Israeli immigrant who does not send his child to the borough's school, works as a solutions engineer and consultant. He posted on his election Facebook page that "I choose not to enroll my son in the public school system" for reasons stated on a now-inactive website. He did not respond to a request for information or explain the reason.
Loia, who owns and operates ZiramiX Dental Laboratory in Franklin Lakes, posted on the same Facebook page that his three children all attend Franklin Lakes public schools.
The board is expected to vote on Jan. 23 on the policy that requires school districts to treat gender expression as confidential, to be shared with the parents only if the student agrees or if there is a risk to the student's health and safety, regardless of local school board policy.
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The premise of the policy is that some students fear family retribution if their gender expressions are known. However, parents' rights groups have argued that parents should be immediately given such information and that schools have no right to be the exclusive holders of it.
Attorney General Matt Platkin sued four districts last summer for challenging this policy in some manner.
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The Hanover Township Board of Education, for example, adopted a policy in May that required teachers and school staff to inform parents immediately if they learn about student behaviors that could have a "material" impact on the student's well-being.
The Westwood Regional School District board voted Dec. 14 to repeal its policy outlining protections for transgender students.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Franklin Lakes school board picks 'parents' rights' duo for top posts
