New Jersey Administrative Code › Title - EXECUTIVE ORDERS › Title 55 - CHRIS CHRISTIE › Section - Executive Order No. 78 (2019)

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
Acting Governor Sheila Y. Oliver
Executive Order No. 78 (2019)
Creation of the Interagency Task Force to Combat Youth Bias
Issued: August 7, 2019.
Effective: August 7, 2019.
WHEREAS, New Jersey is one of the most racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse states in the nation, and this diversity is one of our State's greatest strengths; and
WHEREAS, discrimination, prejudice, and bigotry have no place in New Jersey or anywhere else in the nation; and
WHEREAS, in addition to enforcing existing antidiscrimination laws and regulations, such as the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, our administration is committed to using all resources and tools available to end hate, bias, and intolerance in all its forms, especially among New Jersey's students and young adults, and to fostering learning environments where all students are welcome; and
WHEREAS, bias incidents, or suspected or confirmed crimes that are committed based on the victim's actual or perceived race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity, jeopardize our pursuit of freedom and opportunity, attack the identity and heritage of our residents, shake the foundations of our cultural and religious institutions, and strike at our efforts to build a stronger and fairer New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, bias in our educational institutions cannot be tolerated; and
WHEREAS, according to the latest data submitted to the New Jersey Uniform Crime Reporting System by every New Jersey law enforcement agency during 2017 and 2018, the number of reported bias incidents in New Jersey increased by 32% from 2016 to 2017, from 417 in 2016 to 549 in 2017, with this being the largest jump since at least 2006; and
WHEREAS, reported bias incidents increased by an additional four percent from 2017 to 2018, and the 569 reported bias incidents in 2018 was the highest total number since 2011; and
WHEREAS, over 25% of reported bias incidents in both 2017 and 2018 occurred at a college or university; and
WHEREAS, there were also 32 reported bias incidents that occurred at elementary and secondary schools in 2018; and
WHEREAS, 105 of the 227 known offenders in 2018 were minors, a 67% increase from the 63 known offenders who were minors in 2017; and
WHEREAS, between 2006 and 2018, nearly 29% of the victims of bias incidents were minors; and
WHEREAS, addressing the rise in reported bias incidents among students and young adults in New Jersey requires cooperation across government agencies to understand the root causes of bias incidents and determine the best path forward;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, SHEILA Y. OLIVER, Acting Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. There is hereby created the Interagency Task Force to Combat Youth Bias ("Interagency Task Force"), which shall be responsible for providing advice and recommendations to the Governor's Office, the Attorney General, and other Executive Branch departments and agencies on strategies and actions to reduce incidents of hate, bias, and intolerance involving students and young adults.
2. The objectives of the Interagency Task Force shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
a. Studying the root causes of hate, bias, and intolerance in New Jersey's schools and universities and among New Jersey's students and young adults;
b. Examining and evaluating existing programs and strategies that are administered by executive departments and agencies to address hate, bias, and intolerance in schools and among New Jersey's students and young adults;
c. Reviewing existing law and applicable procedures related to bias in schools and among New Jersey's students and young adults;
d. Reviewing existing programs, curricula, and strategies that aim to address hate, bias, and intolerance among students and young adults and in schools by creating connections and breaking stereotypes;
e. Recommending any necessary changes to existing programs and strategies that are administered by executive departments and agencies and existing law and procedures; and
f. Recommending how executive departments, agencies, and schools should act to reduce hate, bias, and intolerance in schools and among New Jersey's students and young adults.