A shocking scandal has emerged in a New Jersey school board race, leading two candidates to withdraw from their campaigns. The controversy centers around Danielle Bellomo, a conservative school board member from Marlboro Township, who was the target of derogatory text messages from fellow candidate Scott Semaya.
The scandal came to light when a screenshot of Semaya’s phone surfaced. In a group chat titled “ThisB****NeedsToDie,” Semaya made inappropriate comments about Bellomo, including a crude remark about her appearance. Bellomo described the messages as not just hurtful but also threatening, stating they included “very specific actions” that indicated a desire for harm against her. She expressed that these messages revealed a disturbing level of hostility towards her.
Chad Hyett, the vice president of the Marlboro school board, and the husband of another board member were also part of the group chat. Following the revelation, Bellomo shared on Facebook that both Semaya and another candidate, Melissa Goldberg, had decided to end their campaigns. Although Goldberg was not involved in the group chat, she was running on the same slate as Semaya, called Collaborators for Responsible Education (CORE).
Semaya cited “family circumstances” for his withdrawal, while Goldberg mentioned having too many other responsibilities. Bellomo welcomed their departure, stating, “Hate has no place in Marlboro,” and emphasized the importance of rejecting such behavior in the community.
The day after the candidates dropped out, Marlboro Township’s Democratic Mayor Jonathan Horn condemned the text messages. He stated that the content was unacceptable and that the individuals involved were unfit for public office. He also highlighted a troubling trend of increasing violence and threats against public figures, calling for a collective condemnation of such actions.
Bellomo expressed gratitude for the mayor’s statement, emphasizing how much it meant to her and her family. She urged the community to stand against hate in all its forms.
This incident follows another recent scandal involving Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate, Jay Jones, who was accused of making violent threats against political opponents. The atmosphere of hostility in political discourse has raised concerns, as evidenced by the tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk just last month.
As the investigation into the text messages continues, the Marlboro community is left grappling with the implications of this scandal and the need for respectful dialogue in politics.
