• The Marlboro Board of Education postponed its November 11 meeting citing unspecified safety and security issues following a vile group texting scandal targeting board member Danielle Bellomo.
• Board President Brian Cohen moved to delay the meeting, though other board members objected to the postponement, while parents organized peaceful protests on social media.
• Vice President Chad Hyett remains in his position despite allegations he participated in a group chat titled “ThisBitchNeedsToDie” containing sexually explicit comments and threatening messages about Bellomo.

MARLBORO, N.J. (TDR) — The Marlboro Board of Education postponed its next scheduled meeting amid mounting safety concerns following explosive revelations about a group text chat allegedly targeting board member Danielle Bellomo with death threats and sexually degrading messages.

Board President Brian Cohen moved to delay the group’s Nov. 11 meeting, citing unspecified “safety and security” concerns. Multiple board members objected to the postponement, The Post has learned, while frustrated parents organized protests through social media channels.

Scandal centers on threatening group chat

The controversy erupted after screenshots surfaced on social media allegedly showing messages from a private group chat titled “ThisBitchNeedsToDie.” The messages reportedly included sexually explicit comments about Bellomo, a Republican mother of three and MAGA supporter who has championed parental rights on the board.

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“Bellomo must be cold — her nips could cut glass right now,” read one text message allegedly shared in the group. Bellomo told The Post other images of messages exchanged included “very specific actions that they want to do to me and what their intention is.”

“Have a little dignity,” Bellomo stated during a five-hour-plus board meeting last week. “And when my breasts are the topic of discussion in a group chat, I don’t have a safe environment.”

The Marlboro Police Department confirmed Wednesday the text messages are under active investigation.

Board vice president refuses to resign

Those allegedly involved in the group chat include Vice President Chad Hyett, Mitesh Gandhi (whose wife Aditi Gandhi serves on the board), former board candidate Nirav Kadakia, Lenny Thor, and Democratic school board candidate Scott Semaya. Thor’s wife serves as treasurer of the Marlboro Educational Foundation.

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During last week’s marathon meeting, Bellomo’s allies on the board argued for the removal of Cohen as president and Hyett as vice president. The board attorney deemed a vote on such a motion inappropriate. As the meeting pushed past midnight, a vote to remove Hyett as vice president ultimately failed.

A proposal to authorize a board investigation of the social media chat was withdrawn. The status quo remained, with social media posts wishing death upon a board member essentially left unaddressed by the board majority.

Candidates withdraw from election

The scandal has already claimed political casualties. Semaya and his running mate Melissa Goldberg, who ran under the Collaborators for Responsible Education banner, withdrew from the race for three open board seats. Semaya blamed “family circumstances” while Goldberg cited “other responsibilities” for their departures.

“Hate has no place in Marlboro, and the actions of Scott Semaya and the other men in that group chat should never be tolerated,” Bellomo said in an online post. “I am happy that we have ended this cycle of hate.”

The timing of the withdrawals coincided with the screenshots going viral and mounting public pressure. Both candidates will still appear on November ballots since the Aug. 15 deadline for withdrawal had already passed, though Goldberg confirmed she would not accept the position if elected.

Parents plan peaceful demonstration

Despite the board’s decision to postpone the Nov. 11 meeting, parents have been organizing on social media to peacefully protest the handling of the scandal. Community members expressed outrage that board leadership appeared unwilling to hold Hyett accountable for his alleged participation in the threatening messages.

The controversy represents the latest escalation in culture war battles that have consumed school boards nationwide since 2021. Marlboro, a Monmouth County town of approximately 41,000 residents, has become a flashpoint for debates over parental rights, curriculum content and board governance.

Previous tensions on the board included disputes over transgender student policies and the district’s decision to switch before-and-after care providers, which drew complaints from parents about increased costs and reduced flexibility.

The postponed meeting had been scheduled to address routine school district business. No new date has been announced for the rescheduled session.

Should school board members who participate in threatening or sexually harassing group chats targeting fellow board members be required to resign immediately, or does due process require waiting for police investigations to conclude?

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