This Bitch Needs to Die – Democrat Scott Semaya. Semaya later dropped out of the race citing “family” circumstances.
Marlboro, NJ – A New Jersey school board race has erupted into scandal after a candidate was exposed sending sexually explicit and threatening messages about a sitting board member in a group chat titled “ThisBitchNeedsToDie.”
Images of candidate Scott Semaya’s messages about board member Danielle Bellomo surfaced online this week, showing him typing crude comments during a July meeting.
The messages, captured in a leaked photo, prompted immediate outrage and led Semaya and his running mate Melissa Goldberg to withdraw from the Marlboro Board of Education race amid a widening police investigation.
Semaya’s text, photographed mid-sentence, read: “Bellomo must be cold — her nips could cut glass right n.” The messages appeared in a group chat bearing the same title as the shocking leak.
Candidate steps down after public backlash
Bellomo, 38, a mother of three and outspoken conservative, told The Post she was “absolutely terrified” after learning of the chat. “When I found out about the messages I was absolutely shocked, especially with the climate of our country,” she said. “It sent chills down my spine.”
Semaya, 38, an accountant known for his progressive political views, had been one of five candidates vying for three open board seats. He cited “family circumstances” in his withdrawal and did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Bellomo believes she was targeted for her politics. “I’m a proud and unapologetic advocate for parental rights, for my children, for our town and our state, and for that they have this hate for me,” she said.
Community demands accountability
“I have been made aware of a series of text messages exchanged by Marlboro Board of Education members and BOE candidates. Let me be clear – the content of these messages is completely unacceptable and those responsible are clearly not equipped to hold public office,” Mayor Jonathan Hornik said. “Violence and threats of violence against public officials are seemingly becoming normalized. In only a few months’ time, we have witnessed an alarming escalation in this type of behavior to an extreme, culminating in the murder of Minnesota Representative Hortman and activist Charlie Kirk.
“We can disagree with one another without resorting to hate, anger and violence, and I call upon all those in positions of responsibility, regardless of political affiliation to condemn this inexcusable and outrageous behavior.
“I have spoken with the Marlboro Police Chief who has informed me that there is an active and ongoing investigation with respect to this matter.”
The scandal has roiled the affluent Monmouth County suburb and drawn comparisons to a recent political controversy in Virginia involving violent texts sent by a statewide candidate.
Bellomo said the fallout has affected her family, especially her 12-year-old son. “My whole family has been affected by it,” she said. “This is heartbreaking for me. This is what he was thinking when I was volunteering with his children — it’s a hard pill to swallow.”
Bellomo, who is serving her first full term on the board, said she’s faced repeated online harassment and has filed several police reports over the past year.
Police probe and protective order
She also confirmed she has a protective order against one alleged participant in the chat, Mitesh Gandhi, whose wife currently serves on the school board. Gandhi’s attorney said he is seeking to dismiss the order and declined further comment.
According to a source, the group chat was believed to include five men, among them Marlboro Board of Education Vice President Chad Hyett, who is now facing mounting calls to resign.
Bellomo said she has seen multiple screenshots from the chat that go beyond what was posted online. “These text messages are the first time I was able to see they don’t want me alive,” she said, though she declined to release additional images.
The Marlboro Police Department has not released details of its investigation, but the controversy has ignited fierce debate across the township about civility, safety, and political extremism in local governance.
For now, the race that was meant to decide the future of local schools has become a flashpoint over how far political divisions