Colts Neck board adopts resolution urging state, NJSIAA to enforce Title IX compliance on girls' athletics

The Colts Neck Township School District Board of Education voted March 5 to adopt a resolution urging New Jersey and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to affirm compliance with Title IX and related federal directives on athletic eligibility.

Robert Scales, the board's policy‑committee chair, read substantial portions of the resolution and was thanked by several members for drafting the language. "Colts Neck Board of Education urges the state of New Jersey and the NJSIAA to affirm compliance with Federal Executive Orders regarding fairness in women's sports," Scales read during the meeting.

The resolution, included among seven items approved by unanimous roll call, states that the district is "committed to ensuring fairness, safety and equal opportunities in athletics for all students" and that it recognizes "the importance of maintaining the integrity of women's sports and protecting competitive balance in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972." The text says the board stands prepared to implement policies reflecting the executive orders "once the state meets its legal obligations."

Supporters on the board praised Scales for circulating the draft in advance and soliciting edits from all members. One speaker framed the policy as part of the board's fiduciary duty, saying the district must avoid legal exposure that could affect taxpayers.

Opposition or formal objections were not recorded during the motion and roll-call vote; the motion to adopt action items one through seven, which included the resolution, passed with all present members voting "yes."

The resolution directs that copies be forwarded to the Colts Neck Township Committee, state and county legislative representatives, the governor, the New Jersey Commissioner of Education, the NJSIAA and other stakeholders. It also asserts the board's view that allowing biological males to compete in girls' sports may disadvantage biological female students, a concern the text links to competitive balance and student participation.

Next steps listed in the meeting record: the resolution will be distributed to the named officials and the board said it will be "prepared to implement" new district policies aligned with the resolution after confirming the state's legal posture. The board did not adopt specific new district policy language at the March 5 meeting; it approved the resolution and included it within the package of action items approved that evening.

The board scheduled its next public meeting for March 19, where policy revisions and first-read items were already noted on the agenda.