Teachers claim NJ district restricted access to topics like the Holocaust, civil rights movement

A New Jersey school district is facing tough questions after some teachers claimed access had been restricted to important topics like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement — but the superintendent argues it isn't true.

Former State Senator Raymond Lesniak said he has heard from Middletown teachers who are fearful of speaking out regarding the accusations, so he sent a letter to the board of education expressing concern.

"They’re being disrespectful to their students and particularly to their teachers," Lesniak said.

In a statement to NBC New York from the district Thursday night, the superintendent said that "the belief that our district is not instructing content, such as the Holocaust, Brown v. Board of Education, and other historical moments, is a complete mischaracterization of our instruction which can be found throughout our curriculum and addressed through a variety of materials and resources."

Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.

The statement goes on to say that the "the resources in our curricula undergo a thorough vetting process led by a committee of educators. We take pride in ensuring that our students have teacher-led, developmentally appropriate guidance in navigating the topics that BrainPOP has marked as sensitive."

BrainPOP is a popular learning platform, but the teachers have claimed that it limited access to certain history lessons.

Lesniak said the superintendent informed him the site allows students, among others, to search online. The district felt it was important to filter sensitive content so it wouldn't be accessed without a teachers’ guided plan.

That same material is available for teachers, but they need to request it from a content supervisor. Lesniak says the policy’s must go and hopes they "change it soon."