NJ School Board Postpones Meeting Amid Fallout From ‘Vile’ Texting Scandal Targeting Pro-Trump Mom

By: Carl Schwartzbaum

The Marlboro Township Board of Education has abruptly postponed its next public meeting, citing vague “safety and security concerns,” following a scandal that has engulfed the New Jersey district in controversy and national outrage. The decision, reported by The New York Post on Saturday, comes just days after a six-hour board session dominated by angry parents demanding accountability for a vile group texting scandal involving several board members and their associates.

The group chat, as was reported in The New York Post, targeted Danielle Bellomo, a sitting school board member and outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump. The chat’s title — “ThisBitchNeedstoDie” — and its content, which included misogynistic comments and taunts directed at Bellomo, have drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum, fueling protests, police investigations, and calls for multiple resignations.

Board President Brian Cohen announced late Thursday that the board’s next scheduled meeting, set for November 11, would be postponed indefinitely. In a short statement, Cohen cited “safety and security concerns”, but did not elaborate on the nature of the threat or whether it stemmed from public backlash or other potential risks.

As The New York Post reported, other board members privately objected to the postponement, describing the decision as “unnecessary” and “potentially evasive.” Several accused Cohen and Vice President Chad Hyett — who is at the center of the texting scandal — of trying to delay public scrutiny and avoid facing outraged parents.

The move has only intensified local frustration. On community Facebook groups, residents suggested that the postponement was less about security than self-preservation.

“The board president, vice president, and district superintendent are ashamed of something — or afraid of legitimate community concerns,” one parent wrote, according to The New York Post report.

Another resident posted bluntly: “This is getting worse and worse.”

The scandal erupted after The New York Post obtained screenshots of the group chat in question, which reportedly included Marlboro Board Vice President Chad Hyett, board candidate Scott Semaya, and Mitesh Gandhi, the husband of sitting board member Aditi Gandhi. The chat’s name alone — “ThisBitchNeedstoDie” — set the tone for a series of crude and derogatory exchanges aimed squarely at Bellomo.

In one particularly vulgar message, Semaya allegedly wrote: “Bellomo must be cold — her nips could cut glass right n…”

The text was captured mid-sentence in a photograph of Semaya’s phone as he typed, his thumb hovering over the letter “o.” The image, shared widely after The New York Post’s exposé, sparked outrage throughout the township and beyond.

Semaya, who was then running for a seat on the board, immediately withdrew from the race once the texts became public. But the furor has only grown as new details have emerged suggesting that multiple sitting officials were either directly involved in, or aware of, the group chat’s contents.

The New York Post report confirmed that Hyett and Mitesh Gandhi were both included in the group, though neither has commented publicly. Calls for their resignations have mounted, with parents arguing that the board’s credibility has been “shattered.”

The scandal’s reach has extended far beyond the quiet suburban borders of Marlboro. After The New York Post published its report, the story spread rapidly across social media, catching the attention of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who condemned the messages as “wrong” and “evil” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“No elected official should ever have to endure this kind of vile harassment,” Cruz wrote, adding that the episode “shows how deranged some on the left have become when they can’t tolerate a woman who supports President Trump.”

The Post report noted that Bellomo, who has built her reputation as a conservative voice on the board, has long been a lightning rod in the community for her unapologetically pro-Trump stance and her advocacy for parental rights in education.

At the board’s last meeting, held earlier this month, parents packed the room for six tense hours, demanding that Hyett and Gandhi step down. One speaker, his voice cracking with anger, told the board: “This isn’t politics anymore. This is harassment, plain and simple. You’re supposed to be role models for our kids, not bullies.”

Marlboro Police confirmed to The New York Post that an investigation remains ongoing into the alleged threats contained within the group chat, including whether any of the messages could be interpreted as incitement or threats of violence against Bellomo.

“We are actively reviewing all material provided to us,” a police spokesperson said Friday, declining to comment further.

Sources told The New York Post that Bellomo herself has been in contact with local authorities and has received messages of support from across the state. Still, she has reportedly remained shaken by the nature of the comments directed at her.

“She’s been targeted because she’s outspoken,” said one parent close to Bellomo, who asked not to be identified. “She’s tough, but no one deserves that level of hate — especially from people she has to sit next to on the board.”

The board’s internal divisions have deepened amid the fallout. Several members reportedly objected to Cohen’s decision to postpone the upcoming meeting, telling The New York Post that the move undermined public confidence and gave the impression of a cover-up.

Meanwhile, parents have begun organizing peaceful demonstrations outside the Marlboro Township Board of Education building. Flyers circulating on social media urge residents to “Stand With Danielle” and “Demand Accountability.” One Facebook group coordinating the protest had amassed hundreds of members by Friday afternoon, with organizers promising a “peaceful, family-friendly event.”

“This isn’t about politics,” one parent wrote in a comment highlighted in The New York Post report. “It’s about basic decency. If these people can’t treat a fellow board member with respect, how can we trust them with our kids?”

For the affluent Monmouth County suburb, the controversy has cast an unflattering national spotlight on a school district once known primarily for its high-performing academics and civic engagement. The New York Post report described the uproar as “a perfect storm of politics, personality, and polarization.”

The scandal has also revived broader conversations about civility and accountability in local governance. As school boards across the country have become flashpoints for ideological battles over curriculum, parental rights, and political identity, Marlboro’s crisis now stands as a cautionary tale about how personal animosity and online toxicity can corrode public institutions.

“Social media and text messaging have become weapons in these local power struggles,” said a political analyst quoted in The New York Post report. “This case shows what happens when those private channels of hate leak into public view.”

As of Friday, neither Hyett nor Gandhi had announced any plans to resign. Cohen’s decision to postpone the board’s next meeting has effectively delayed any formal discussion of disciplinary action, leaving residents fuming.

The New York Post report noted that district officials have refused to clarify when — or if — the board intends to reconvene. The uncertainty has only fueled speculation that leadership hopes the controversy will fade from public attention.

But parents show no signs of letting the matter drop. “They think we’ll forget,” said one local mother quoted in The New York Post report. “We won’t. This is our community. They work for us.”

For now, the Marlboro Board of Education sits paralyzed — its members divided, its reputation in tatters, and its residents demanding transparency. What began as a private group chat has spiraled into a public reckoning, one that, as The New York Post report aptly put it, “shows how the smallest acts of cruelty can ignite the largest crises of trust.”