Toms river school district caught up in political campaign

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent Michael Citta is being called out for using school resources to promote a political candidate and for attempting to suppress discussions about the district’s property tax increase, according to complaints filed by local Republican candidates.

William Byrne, a Republican candidate for Toms River Township Council, filed ethics charges against Citta, accusing him of organizing a political rally at Toms River High School North for Zachary Dougherty, a Democratic candidate for the council. Byrne claims Citta promoted Dougherty using the school’s facilities, including an outdoor billboard, and assembled more than 100 eligible student voters to attend the event.

“This is a clear violation of New Jersey ethics and election laws,” Byrne said in a statement, pointing to the use of public school resources for a partisan campaign event. Byrne, who is running on a Republican ticket aligned with former President Donald Trump, said Citta’s actions undermine the nonpartisan role of school officials.

Citta is also facing separate ethics complaints from Toms River School Board candidates Diane Oxley and Marisa Matarazzo. The two candidates allege that Citta attempted to stifle their campaign discussions about the district’s 9.9% property tax increase by sending them a cease-and-desist letter. The letter accused the candidates of making defamatory statements, though the tax hike had been widely reported by local media.

In their complaint, Oxley and Matarazzo claim Citta’s actions amounted to election interference and intimidation. They also allege that Citta prematurely shared legal notices related to the cease-and-desist order with Philip Brilliant, a political ally of former Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill, before the candidates themselves received the documents.

The Toms River Township Council raised concerns over the apparent early release of the letter to Brilliant, stating in a formal notice, “It is certainly not appropriate for any of its [school board’s] members to be intermeddling in politics in their official capacities.” Brilliant, a member of the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority, is reported to have political ties to Dougherty and has been an outspoken critic of local Republicans since Hill’s defeat in 2023.

Citta and the Toms River School District have not publicly responded to the allegations, and emails seeking comment were not answered. Meanwhile, Dougherty has posted on social media about the rally, confirming that he addressed more than 100 students who will be eligible to vote in the upcoming election.

New Jersey law prohibits school officials from using their positions or public resources to support political campaigns, and any violation of these statutes could result in disciplinary action or fines.

Byrne, Oxley, and Matarazzo have all indicated they plan to pursue further action through the New Jersey School Ethics Commission.

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