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Clark public commenter alleges link between transgender people and shootings during Board of Education meeting
Summary
During public comment, resident Bill Dreji argued that "transgender" people and related laws contribute to violent incidents; the board did not dispute the claim during the meeting. The statements were presented as the speaker's assertions and are not substantiated in the record.
During the public comment portion of the Board of Education of Clark Public Schools meeting, resident Bill Dreji, who provided his address as 47 Post Road, Clark, made a string of assertions linking transgender people and recent violent incidents.
"I think this applies to Governor Murphy's laws which say that little children, even high school kids, by putting something in their mind ... maybe you're not really a boy or not really a girl," Dreji said, and added that such changes "affect those people very seriously and causes them to do crazy things like shoot people." The speaker also referenced an individual he identified as "Cook" in relation to a recent shooting.
The board did not provide a factual rebuttal or additional commentary in response to Dreji's statements during the meeting record. The remarks were delivered during the allotted three-minute public comment period, which the presiding officer introduced by asking speakers to state their name and address for the record and noting a three-minute limit.
The assertions made by the commenter are not supported by evidence in the meeting record and were not corroborated by board members or staff during the session. The transcript records these comments as a verbatim public submission and the statements should be read as the speaker's opinions and allegations rather than verified facts.
No policy actions, votes, or staff directives resulted from this comment during the meeting.
