ORADELL, NJ (PIX11) — Parents and community members packed the Oradell Board of Education meeting Wednesday night, demanding answers after the board denied a controversial author visit at a previous meeting.
The school board recently split its vote on the matter, with the board president abstaining — effectively blocking the event. Some parents and students said they’ve received unclear answers but believe the denial stems from a gay reference to a young male character in the book ‘The Cardboard Kingdom’, written by author Chad Sell.
“It’s alluded that he had a crush on someone of the same sex and he dresses up in the female sorcerer costumes,” said 16-year-old student Parker Cermak-Hosein. “It’s not explicitly stated and even if it was I don’t think that this is necessarily an issue since it’s not forcing opinions per se on any of the children.”
The book in question follows a group of kids who create superhero costumes and use their imaginations to transform their neighborhood into a world of adventure. Lisa Tartaglione’s advocacy for the author's visit is personal as a mom of a student in the school district who is part of the LGBTQ+ community. She feels the author's visit could help students like her son feel seen.
“If you allow people like this to visit and they see this, it not only brings them maybe a little bit of comfort,” she said. “Maybe feeling like someone’s a little more like them, but the bigger picture here to me is opening the eyes for the rest of the children. That it’s ok that we’re different and we can all have a good time together and enjoy each other and accept each other.”
Ahead of the public comment period, School Board President Dorothy-Watson Nichols read a letter stating that students look forward to author visits and that the board prioritizes their best interests when making decisions. Every speaker during public comment voiced support for the author's visit, and when we spoke to more than a dozen attendees, not a single person opposed it.
At the end of the meeting, Watson-Nichols said she was waiting for information about the subject matter before voting because the board had heard concerns about the book from many parents in the community. The school board ultimately decided to allow the author to visit.
“We were literally waiting for information,” said Watson-Nichols. “Had I been on my game, and I apologize for the issues I have caused in the community, I would have tabled the motion instead of abstaining so, I apologized for that to all of you and that’s all I can say, but we did get the information. We voted and I hope everyone leaves here happier tonight.”
Chad Sell is set to visit the school next month but will read a different book, as 'The Cardboard Kingdom' is not geared toward the third-grade audience he’ll be speaking to. It is instead geared to 4th through 7th graders, according to The School Library Journal.
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