MOUNTAIN LAKES – A League of Women Voters program aimed at increasing
the number of females in New Jersey politics was just derailed after
complaints were raised by a woman recently elected to local office.
There is irony here to be sure, but the sudden cancellation last week
of the League’s “Running & Winning” program at Mountain Lakes High
School disappointed students and has prompted hard feelings in what
historically has been one of Morris County’s most affluent and
attractive communities.

Much of the ire has been directed at new Councilwoman Audrey Lane who
looked into the program after she was asked to be a participant and
became concerned it would be open to only female students. She also
had issues with student supervision and how much the program would tax
school resources, but it seems clear “gender equality” was the
overriding problem.

This can be a ticklish issue for the League, which was formed
essentially to facilitate more women involvement in politics. Or as
part of its mission statement puts it, “We believe in the power of
women to create a more perfect democracy.”

To that end, the “Running & Winning” program offers female high school
students a chance to take part in a workshop with women elected
officials and leaders. The keynote speaker would have been the local
congresswoman, Democrat Mikie Sherrill, but the League said the 14
officials invited were equally divided between those on the right and
those on the left.

Organizers tried to solve the initial problem by opening the program
to male students, many of whom signed up to take part. But there were
also concerns about the invited guests – all women.

Frank Sanchez, the high school principal, said at Monday’s school
board meeting that he invited two local male politicos – state
Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco, whose 25th District includes Mountain
Lakes and Stephen Shaw, a borough resident and Morris County
freeholder. But there were problems. For one, the two Republicans
would upset the political balance.

The League said the men would be able to observe, not participate in
the workshop. There was also a problem with Bucco who is running for
reelection this year, which the League said would have been a no-no.
(It was pointed out by a man in the audience that one of the invited
guests, Freeholder Heather Darling, is running for surrogate this
year; the League said Darling was invited prior to announcing her
surrogate candidacy).

The school board also was dealing with a legal opinion from its
attorney that warned of possible litigation if the program went off.
Attorney Stephen Fogarty said state law mandates that all career
programs in a public school be open to all students regardless of
gender. Rumors on social media and elsewhere claim Lane hired a lawyer
who threatened to sue the district. Lane says that’s simply not true.
She says she talked to an attorney to protect herself, but has not
hired one.

But here’s a question that was on some people’s minds Monday night. Is
the “Running & Winning” program truly a career-oriented thing? Should
it be compared to programs that talk to kids about exploring say,
engineering, marketing, or, God forbid, journalism? The feeling here
is that involvement in politics is distinct from one’s career, or
“real job,” – at least in the beginning.

Nonetheless, the school district cancelled the program last Thursday
the day before it was to take place. At Monday’s meeting, many
speakers criticized the board – and Lane. One critic said the board’s
action was “abrupt and ill-conceived.” Another critic said Lane was a
partisan politician who “blew up” a very worthwhile initiative.

Just about all the students who spoke said they had been looking
forward to the program and that they were now disappointed. Some said
they wanted to meet Sherrill, who seems to be emerging as the state’s
new political star. Sherrill’s office didn’t comment on the program’s
cancellation.

A prevailing view among some speakers was that the League program
helps young women enter a field that through tradition, practice and
outright discrimination has been male dominated.

Lane was at the meeting, but did not speak. Those speaking in her
favor said she was being unfairly maligned – especially on social
media – and that she should not be faulted for raising genuine
concerns.

In a conversation on Tuesday, Lane, a Republican who was elected to
the council last fall, acknowledged some of the nastiness coming her
way, but said she had no regrets raising an issue that was about
equality, resources and student safety.

Any long-time observer of politics can’t ignore some obvious facts.
Notwithstanding the League of Women Voters’ bipartisan proclamation,
many Republicans see the group as leaning left. Was that a factor
here? Perhaps.

Politics in Mountain Lakes also seems to be changing, which some may
find unsettling. Once solidly Republican, the council is now
controlled by Democrats. In the 2018 race for Congress, Sherrill beat
Republican Jay Webber here by more than 400 votes. The latest trend is
not surprising. So much political data these days suggests that
President Trump and Republicans in general have trouble with
college-educated voters, which, of course, describes Mountain Lakes.
What happens now to the League’s “Running & Winning” program?
Clearly, any litigation or possible litigation could threaten the
program throughout the nation.

In Mountain Lakes, there was talk of staging it next year. Some even
urged the board to explore holding it before school ends in June and
moving it off campus, thereby avoiding the legal quandary of having
the event in a public school.

In a statement about the brouhaha at the start of the meeting, Board
President Rich Mancuso said simply, “We all must do better.”
Just as an interesting, if not ironic, aside. Depending on the outcome
of the June Republican primary, three of the four District 25 Assembly
candidates this year may be women. There’s some progress for you.