Colts Neck parents furious after being blocked from Linda McMahon visit despite ‘parental rights’

✅ Parents say Colts Neck schools violated their own new “Parental Bill of Rights”

✅ They were blocked from a BOE meeting before the "History Rocks" presentation

✅Parents were unable to review the presentation's contents beforehand

COLTS NECK — Less than a month after the Board of Education approved its "Parental Bill of Rights" — a key feature of conservative school board campaigns — the board seems to have violated its own policy during a visit by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

McMahon was at Cedar Drive Middle School on Friday morning as the third stop on the U.S. Department of Education's "History Rocks" initiative.  It is part of the America 250 Civics Education Coalition, dedicated to "renewing patriotism, strengthening civic knowledge, and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools across the nation" in anticipation of the country's 250th anniversary in 2026.

MS NOW was first to report that parents who were told they could attend the "History Rocks" event if they came to a Board of Education meeting at 7:45 a.m. were turned away.

According to the meeting notice, the purpose was "a board discussion with the U.S. Secretary of Education on topics generally related to public education." No other action would be taken at the meeting. Members of the board were seated in the front row during McMahon's presentation.

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Parents blocked from attending

Parent and former BOE member Allison Denoya said a Colts Neck police officer told her that no one was allowed in the building. No reason was offered. There were also people outside the school protesting McMahon, according to Denoya.

Some parents who were told on Tuesday about the visit were concerned the presentation would have a right-wing lean. They invoked the school's newly enacted "Parental Bill of Rights," which gives them the right to inspect materials to be used and to attend the event. Denoya said that no parent she spoke to received any of the requested materials and only got a "light agenda" about the presentation.

"It wouldn't be a problem if the secretary of education was coming to see the great things that the Colts Neck school district does. The secretary of education came under the guise of extreme, extreme ideology groups like Turning Point USA, Hillsdale College and Moms for Liberty, just to name a few. And she's the face of this so she's promoting their new agenda of what they want history to be. And this school board was all for it. Well, that's not cool," Denoya said.

BOE Vice President Phyllis Camera said it was an honor to have McMahon visit the school.

"Her visit was kicked off with incredible excitement and school spirit. The energy and patriotism in the building were inspiring. I’m grateful to our Board of Education, administration, teachers, staff, and the Colts Neck Police Department for their support and for helping bring American history to life for our students each day," Camera said. "I’m proud that Secretary McMahon was able to experience firsthand what makes Cedar Drive such an extraordinary place for learning and growth.”

Camera and Superintendent MaryJane Garibay did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's question about why parents were unable to attend.

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