TRENTON, N.J. – Freshman Assembly members Dawn Fantasia and Michael Inganamort, along with Sen. Parker Space, oppose a bill that grants certain persons immunity from criminal and civil liabilities for making available obscene material to minors.
The Democrat-backed bill (S2421/A3446), dubbed the “Freedom to Read Act,” gives an “affirmative defense to a prosecution” for distributing obscene material to minors if the person distributing the obscene material is a teacher, teaching staff member, school librarian, or staff member of a public library performing their job duties.
“This bill is nothing more than big government mandating an ideological agenda into our schools,” said Space (R-Sussex). “We should respect parents and local school officials enough for them to decide what is appropriate when deciding what educational materials should be available to students. Period.”
The bill includes eight new mandates that strip boards of education of their decision-making power in favor of the state government.
“First and foremost, this legislation is an affront to parents and taxpayers by usurping more control away from local education and giving it to faceless bureaucrats in Trenton,” said Fantasia (R-Sussex). “Provisions in the bill silence the public into submission and handcuff local school boards by the special legal protection afforded certain educators and librarians if they decide to keep obscene material on bookshelves.”
The legislators said since the public school lockdowns, parents have been advocating for more transparency and oversight of their children’s educational materials.
“There is no place for obscene, sexually-explicit material in classrooms, no matter who is distributing it,” said Inganamort (R-Sussex). “Let’s also remember that most teachers and librarians don’t want to be put in this position in the first place. We’ll strongly oppose this legislation to protect our kids, first and foremost, and to defend the integrity of the teaching profession, too.”
The bills have been referred to their respective education committees for consideration.