Board renames DEI post to 'Director of Student Access and Engagement' as public speakers press to rescind transgender and DEI policies

The Woodbridge Township Board of Education on Jan. 16 approved a personnel agenda that included renaming the district's DEI director position to "Director of Student Access and Engagement," a change the superintendent said reflects expanded student-support duties.

The action is part of a larger personnel motion that passed by roll call after a motion by Miss Borden and second by Miss Perez. The change and an extended public-comment period on DEI and transgender-related policies drew most of the meeting's public attention.

Superintendent Dr. Nicholas Massimino said the title change is meant to capture a broader set of responsibilities the role already performs. "We're changing the name today," he said, noting the position now oversees programs including high-impact tutoring, homeless-student support under the McKinney-Vento Act, translation services, student engagement initiatives and other student-centered functions. He told the board the role had evolved since it was created after the 2020 civil unrest and that adjustments to job descriptions are common as district needs change. "My job is to not be political," Massimino said, adding the position is intended to serve the district's whole student population.

The board did not take any vote to rescind or amend district policies at the meeting. Multiple public speakers urged the board to remove or revise policies they said permit schools to act without parental knowledge on gender identity. Resident Dan Finney told the board, "yes, it is indoctrination and grooming," and called for rescinding the district's transgender-related policies. Other commenters raised related concerns about parental rights, developmental science, and religious objections; several asked that specific policies be rescinded (speakers referenced policies numbered in the 5145 and 5756 series).

Board members and the superintendent answered procedural and scope questions but did not propose a formal policy repeal that night. Massimino and other board members emphasized the distinction they drew between political definitions of DEI and the district's stated operational responsibilities for student services, saying the renamed title better reflects work such as coordinating food drives, mentoring programs, tutoring grants and homeless-student liaison functions. He cited the district's high-impact tutoring programs (initially grant-funded) and said some duties were not obvious to the public because they involve direct student support rather than public-facing policy work.

The meeting record shows no action was taken to change existing board policies 5145.7 or 5756 (both were discussed by speakers). The personnel slate that included the title change passed as part of a package of 43 personnel items approved at the Jan. 16 meeting.

Looking ahead, board members said they will continue to receive public input and could address policy changes at a future meeting if the board places them on an agenda. The board did not set a timeline for further action on the policies discussed during public comment.