A School Board Member's Sudden Exit: What Really Happened?

A school board member in New Jersey decided to leave her position early.

Rebecca Petersen's Resignation

• Tenure: 3 years on the Raritan Township school board
• Resignation: A month before her term ended
• Cause: Long argument over old social media posts

Petersen's Perspective

• Challenges: Described her time on the board as tough
• Accusations: Blamed others for making things difficult
• Claims: Said they cared more about power than the school's best interests

The Controversy

• Anonymous Account: Allegedly on X (formerly Twitter)
• Posts:
• Criticized transgender people
• Misgendered Rachel Levine, a former U.S. health official
• Criticized a school display about women's history

• Included transgender icons Marsha P. Johnson and Laverne Cox

• Petersen's Defense:
• Denied involvement in the posts
• Said the school leaders punished her unfairly
• Claimed a judge found no proof linking her to the posts
• Did not win re-election this year

Aftermath

• Complaint: Filed after the school started investigating
• Allegations: Board president and vice president were not fair
• Vice President: Dorothea Kellogg allegedly wanted her to quit
• Meeting: Petersen left after saying her goodbye
• Board: Continued working as usual, planned to discuss her leave in a private meeting