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What you can do

Speak up!

Our "This Book Must Stay" report outlined numerous policy and process lapses, and offers constructive suggestions for improving the district's approach to future book challenges. However, the Board has yet to respond to the report or take action on our recommendations. Let the Board know that it needs to act now.

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  • Write a letter to Board members, superintendent Jeffrey Bender (jbender@nhvweb.net), and assistant superintendent Rich Bergacs (rbergacs@nhvweb.net). A sample letter is available for you to use or modify.
     

  • Call the Board office (908-735-2846), or
     

  • Speak at the April 26, 2022, BOE meeting 

 

When you communicate with the Board, ask:

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  • How does the Board plan to prevent ongoing disruption of district operations resulting from frivolous book challenges that do not represent the will of the community at large? 

  • Why did NHHS administrators disregard Regulation 9130's stipulation that the committee include a lay person knowledgeable in the area of the work?

  • ​How will the district prevent such policy violations in the event of future book challenges?

  • How and when will the district address the issues raised and the recommendations made in the "This Books Must Stay" report?

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If you choose to speak during the public comments section of the meeting, follow these guidelines:

 

  • Prepare remarks no longer than 3 minutes

  • Speak respectfully

  • Do not demean individual members of the Board, administration, or school staff

  • Express appreciation to the volunteer members of the Board for their patience throughout this school year when they have been verbally attacked by unruly book banners

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Use your power and your vote

  • Keep going to board meetings

  • Urge your community's board members to oppose book banning

  • Vote for board candidates who support intellectual freedom

  • Vote to remove board members who voted to remove books or refused to stand up for students' right to read.
     

Become a Trouble Maker​

Red Wine & Blue, a national movement of suburban moms, has launched Book Ban Busters, an initiative to create community-based groups to fight censorship in our schools. Take RWB's free Trouble Maker Training to learn what you can do. Get the RWB's Parent Playbook for ideas on fighting back against extremism.
 

Support intellectual freedom organizations

The following organizations helped us get the word out about intellectual freedom. Please donate to them as you are able:

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