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As the uproar surrounding the state鈥檚 new sex education standards intensifies among some parents, Republican lawmakers, and conservative media, Gov. Phil Murphy defended the standards Wednesday but said the state will clarify what children will be learning in public schools starting in the fall.

Murphy blamed the controversy on partisan actors attempting to divide parents. The governor鈥檚 announcement came after a parade of GOP legislators blasted the new standards and proposed legislation that would bar any instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation to young students.

鈥淚 have directed my Department of Education to review the standards and provide further clarification on what age-appropriate guidelines look like for our students. My administration is committed to ensuring that all of our students are equipped to lead healthy, productive lives now and in the future,鈥� Murphy said in a statement.

The controversy here comes as states nationwide seek to bar discussion of LGBTQ issues in the classroom, sparked by a new Florida law that limits instruction on gender and sexual orientiation.

The new New Jersey standards were adopted by the state Board of Education in June 2020 and are supposed to be implemented starting in September. They expand what students are taught about gender identity, sexual orientation, consent, and gender expression.聽

Parents are allowed to opt their children out of sex education lessons in New Jersey public schools.

In his statement, Murphy pointed to politicians who are 鈥渟eeking to divide and score political points鈥� by misrepresenting how far the new standards go. State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-Bergen)聽that she said 鈥済o so far as unnecessarily sexualizing children.鈥� Officials say those documents are an example of what schools can use, and are not curriculum. Murphy said the materials Schepisi shared 鈥渄o not reflect the spirit of the standards.鈥�

Murphy said it鈥檚 paramount for public schools to promote inclusivity and respect for all children, including LGBTQ students.

鈥淚n New Jersey, parents always have and always will have a say in their child鈥檚 education, which includes opting their child out of any health lesson that they would rather discuss in the privacy of their own home,鈥� he said. 鈥�Any proposed educational content that is not age-appropriate should be immediately revised by local officials.鈥�

Schepisi said she is happy Murphy will provide more information to parents who are confused about the new standards. But she disputed the charge that she is spreading misinformation, noting the documents she shared聽can be found on the state Department of Education website.聽

鈥淧roviding information to parents about what鈥檚 going on while the state gives a lack of guidance is not misinformation,鈥� she said. 鈥淧arents need to remain engaged and make sure their voices are appropriately heard.鈥澛�

GOP senators have sent a letter to Murphy and state Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) asking for public hearings on the new standards and delayed implemention. In the letter, they note the expanded guidelines were adopted in June 2020, at the height of the pandemic.

Republicans and some parents have taken issue with the apparently graphic nature of the proposed standards, and the age at which topics like gender identity, sexual orientation, and anatomy may be taught.聽

State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), who chairs the Senate Education Committee, said he鈥檚 reviewed the documents at the heart of the controversy and hasn鈥檛 found anything that glaringly crosses a line. But he called on Murphy to reassure parents about the new standards.

Gopal called Murphy鈥檚 statement Wednesday a 鈥渟tep in the right direction.鈥澛�

The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence McDonald for questions: [email protected]. Follow New Jersey Monitor on and .

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