In most arrogant move yet, Murphy threatens to sue Middletown, NJ (Opinion)

If you asked me 10 years ago if I ever would’ve been caught dead watching a live stream of a Board of Education meeting, I would’ve told you you were out of your mind. But here I was the other night, watching the Middletown Board of Ed discuss the mask mandate.

Of course I was hoping against hope that some freedom loving parents would stand up to advocate for their children. And many did.

But the part that shocked me most about this meeting was the part that you probably wouldn’t know unless you attended: Gov. Murphy overnight had snuck in a caveat to his latest executive order regarding mask mandate exemptions.

Of course he did this in the cover of darkness so attention would not be brought to it but the bottom line is this: Parents' testimonies will not be excepted to excuse their kids from mask wearing. The only one who can exempt your child is a doctor or a “health professional.”

Middletown Township school district is huge and diverse and has a real challenge in trying to meet the needs of its vast student and parent body.

Apparently Middletown, a district that actually cares for and listens to the needs of its students, had briefly considered making masks optional for kids. But they were duly warned.

Gov. Murphy said that he would sue the district if they tried any such scheme. The King has laid down the rule of law. Try it and you will suffer my wrath.

The audacity of such a threat is unprecedented in New Jersey state politics. And I’ve been watching things for a long time (Longer than the governor himself, I might add).

If this doesn’t prove that Gov. Murphy was given way too much power by the Legislature with his never-ending executive orders, I don’t know what does.

A “leader” threatening and intimidating a school district with litigation as a vendetta, while Board of Ed members working their butts off to try to do the right thing is incomprehensible, unless you live in Venezuela. Which, by the way, would be a perfect place for Gov. Murphy to reign when he finally, mercifully, moves on from here.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi Franco’s own.