A Conversation with Jack Ciattarelli
Venue: BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple & Spiritual Centre, Robbinsville, NJ
Date: May 31, 2025
The American Hindu Jewish Congress (AHJC) convened leaders, parents, and community advocates at BAPS Robbinsville to examine two urgent New Jersey priorities: K–12 policies on DEI and gender identity, and rising workplace discrimination against Hindus. The conversation with Jack Ciattarelli focused on restoring clarity, transparency, and equal treatment in law and practice.
DEI & Gender Dysphoria: Where New Jersey Stands
In February 2025, an appellate panel upheld a lower-court order holding that school districts cannot require staff to notify parents when a student changes gender identity at school. Some districts, including Middletown Township, read the rulings as confirmation that they need not follow the state’s 2018 guidance (Policy 5756) that had directed schools to accept gender changes without parental notice. Middletown’s board subsequently abolished the 2019 “Anti-Parent Policy.”
AHJC’s position is straightforward: policies must be clear, lawful, and respectful of parental rights and student dignity, avoiding compelled ideology in classrooms and staff trainings.
AHJC Policy Principles for Schools & Public Spaces
- Enforce sex-based distinctions in law to protect women and men as biologically distinct.
- Use the term “sex,” not “gender,” in federal and state policies and official documents.
- No state funding or messaging that promotes “gender identity/ideology” programs.
- Single-sex spaces (bathrooms, locker rooms, rape-crisis centers, prisons/detention) should align with biological sex.
- Ensure DEI programs do not impose race- or sex-based preferences that undermine merit, excellence, and equal treatment.
Workplace Fairness: Protecting Hindus in New Jersey
AHJC is receiving reports of increasing workplace discrimination against Hindus in both private organizations and public agencies. Such behavior would violate:
- Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964 (employment discrimination based on religion, race, color, sex, national origin);
- Title VI (discrimination in federally funded programs);
- New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD); and
- The Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, which requires states to treat people equally under the law.
What AHJC is doing:
- Documenting incidents and offering guidance on reporting, mediation, and legal remedies;
- Engaging employers on bias prevention, religious accommodation, and merit-based practices;
- Supporting community members with know-your-rights resources and referrals.
The Path Forward
AHJC will continue convening bipartisan conversations and urging school boards and state agencies to adopt transparent, constitutionally sound policies that respect parents, protect students, and preserve single-sex spaces. Where appropriate, AHJC will engage the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR)—submitting complaints, requesting technical assistance, and sharing policy analyses to promote Title VI compliance and clarify K–12 practices.
In employment matters, AHJC will work alongside the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to advance Title VII enforcement—assisting individuals with charge filing, providing pattern-and-practice information, participating in outreach, and submitting amicus input in precedent-setting cases. Join AHJC to share evidence for OCR/EEOC referrals, inform policy briefs, and help advance equal opportunity and respectful pluralism across New Jersey.