Scouts won’t be barred from New Jersey schools

A proposed change in the New Jersey state policy will not prohibit Boy Scout troops from using public schools for meetings, according to a published report. Earlier this month the New Jersey Department of Education said it would consider updating its administrative code by adding a ban on discrimination against sexual orientation. The proposal did not mention the Boy Scouts by name or mention policies regarding use of schools by outside groups. The New Jersey School Boards Association began notifying districts that the policy change could bar them from allowing Scout meetings. The association said Tuesday, however, that education officials have since clarified the proposal. A spokesman for the association said the rule would pertain only to educational activities and would not affect which groups could use school buildings after hours. It would up to the individual districts to decide if they would allow the Scouts to meet.