Public Comment Questions Board on Transgender Directives; Board Says It Will Continue to Give Parents Authority

During the public‑comment portion of a Clark Public Schools Board of Education meeting, a resident asked whether the board would follow directives from Governor Phil Murphy on transgender student issues and said he believed a federal executive order would override state law. The board replied that it will continue to give parents decision‑making authority.

Phil Draghi, introduced himself as a resident of Clark Township and asked whether the board would "obey the president of The United States on these trans laws that Phil Murphy made?" Draghi said he believed a federal executive order would supersede state directives and repeatedly pressed the board for an answer.

The board's response came from a board official who said, "We're gonna continue to give our parents full autonomy as over their children as we have always done in the Clark schools. That's something we've done prior to president Trump and something we plan to do during president Trump and after president Trump. Always give our parents complete and total autonomy over their children." The board's reply framed the district's approach as unchanged and centered on parental authority.

The commenter made legal claims about the interplay of federal executive orders and state directives; the board's statement addressed district policy about parental involvement but did not cite a statute or legal authority during the reply. No board action or formal motion followed the exchange.

The exchange occurred during the meeting's public comment time; neither the commenter nor the board presented supporting documentation of the legal claims made during the remarks.