New Jersey’s LAD

First in the Nation

Celebrates 60^th Anniversary

On April 16^th, 1945, Governor Walter E. Edge signed a bill enacting the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and creating the Division Against Discrimination (now known as the Division on Civil Rights).  This law was the nation’s very first state civil rights statue.

     In January 1992, Governor Jim Florio signed an amendment to the LAD that included “Affectional or Sexual Orientation.” The law clearly states that the following are covered under Public Accommodations: “…public library, kindergarten, primary and secondary school, high school, academy, college and university, or any educational institution under the supervision of the regents of the state of New Jersey.”

     The amendment to the LAD was not implemented and new legislation was passed that requires school districts to adopt harassment and bullying prevention policies to prevent violence in the schools.  The bill was signed by Governor Jim McGreevey in September 2002.

     The above legislation still has not been implemented in our schools and we as a community have not done our part to see that it was implemented and monitored.  We call on all of you, both groups and individuals, to join the Safe Schools Effort to insist that the Acting Governor, The Attorney General, and Commissioner, Department of Education meet their responsibility in seeing that schools are safe places for all students and teachers.

    GayPASG was co-founded and is sponsored by Messrs. Richard J. Harrison and John Crowell Campbell of Edison, New Jersey.  Mr. Campbell is a Commissioner on the NJ Civil Right Commission.