Ramsey school board faces second 'parents' rights' challenge in fall elections

Marsha A. Stoltz, NorthJersey.com
·2 min read
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RAMSEY — Parents' rights advocate Timothy Walsh will challenge an incumbent slate for one of three open seats on the district's 10-member school board in November.

According to petitions that had to be filed with the county by last Monday's 4 p.m. deadline, Vice President Anthony Socci and trustee Jennifer Burns are running for new terms with retired Ramsey police Capt. David Stitz on a bracketed "Experience, Dedicated, Transparent" slogan. Trustee Scott Kaufmann is not seeking a new term.

Walsh, a 2021 candidate for Bergen County commissioner, lists himself on LinkedIn as a "Republican political operative" who has served as a county committeeman for the Bergen County Republican Organization, vice chair of the Bergen County Young Republicans and secretary of the District 39 Republican Committee.

A member of the borough's environmental commission, Walsh is running on a "Parents' Rights Now" platform. He is not related to former trustee Keri Walsh, who resigned from the board last spring.

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A slate of three candidates made a similar bid for office last November under the "Restoring Balanced Education" banner. However, they were defeated by incumbents Nicholas Capuano and Andrew Seltzer running with newcomer Laura Leonard.

It is not the only protest launched against the district in the past year. In April, an anonymous email criticizing the district's book and sex education choices drew widespread protest from residents questioning how the sender got access to private contact information.

The area is reporting a higher number of contested school board elections, which in the past have typically offered unchallenged slates to fill open seats. COVID-related issues, race issues and district policies concerning books and even sex education have all brought the positions under greater attention and pressure.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ramsey school board faces 'parents' rights' challenge in the fall