By A Marlboro, New Jersey, school board race has been upended after a candidate was accused of sending sexually explicit and threatening messages about a sitting conservative board member during a public meeting.
Scott Semaya, 38, was caught on camera typing crude comments about Danielle Bellomo in a group chat titled “ThisBitchNeedsToDie,” according to leaked screenshots that spread across social media this week. The images prompted a police investigation and sparked outrage across the affluent Monmouth County township, reported The New York Post.
One message visible in the photo read: “Bellomo must be cold — her nips could cut glass right n,” with the final word appearing unfinished.
Amid mounting backlash, Semaya withdrew from the race for one of three open seats on the Marlboro Board of Education, citing “family circumstances.” His running mate, Melissa Goldberg, soon followed, telling a local outlet she “currently cannot commit to this role in addition to my other responsibilities.”
Bellomo, a 38-year-old Republican and mother of three known for her support of former President Donald Trump, said she was “absolutely terrified” when she learned of the messages. “When I found out about the messages I was absolutely shocked, especially with the climate of our country. It sent chills down my spine,” she said.
Bellomo attributed the hostility to her outspoken advocacy. She writes on her campaign website, “As a proud Republican and long-time resident of Monmouth County, I am honored to step forward as a candidate for Monmouth County Clerk. My roots in philanthropy and community service run deep, with over 15 years of dedication to giving back to the community I serve. Recently, I won a historic election, breaking local records for the most votes received, and I currently serve as a Board of Education member, where I have tirelessly fought for parental rights and conservative, traditional values in New Jersey education.
Beyond my role in education, I am the President of a local community organization and a delegate for the Girl Scouts of America. My passion is bringing the community together for the future of our children and the future of our county. I am committed to giving our neighbors and taxpayers a voice, leading with integrity, and ensuring complete transparency in our government.
As the Monmouth County Clerk I will restore checks and balances to our county government, ensure the integrity of voting practices and procedures and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and that every resident—small business owners, working families, and citizens young and old—have a government that works for them.
Together, we can bring real change to Monmouth County. Join me in restoring integrity, accountability, and transparency to Monmouth County.
Semaya, an accountant who aligned with a group called Collaborators for Responsible Education (CORE), had campaigned as part of a nonpartisan slate. The group’s remaining candidate, veteran board member Michael Lilonsky, remains in the race.
Bellomo said the harassment has shaken her family. “My whole family has been affected by it,” she noted, adding that she worries her 12-year-old son could see the explicit remarks. The situation is particularly painful, she said, because she once led a Girl Scout troop that included Semaya’s daughter. “This is heartbreaking for me,” she reflected. “This is what he was thinking when I was volunteering with his children — it’s a hard pill to swallow.”
Bellomo, now serving her first term, has faced repeated threats in recent months and holds a restraining order against Mitesh Gandhi, whose wife also serves on the board and who is allegedly linked to the chat group. Gandhi is reportedly seeking to have the order lifted.
Bellomo said she’s seen more messages than the one image made public. “These text messages are the first time I was able to see they don’t want me alive,” she said, explaining that she has withheld further screenshots out of concern for safety.
District Superintendent Michael Ballone said security measures are being reviewed. “The district takes the safety and security of all members of our school community very seriously,” he said. “We have an invaluable relationship with our local police department who attends our Board of Education meetings. This upcoming meeting will be no different.”
The investigation revealed the threats just a week after the race for Attorney General in Virginia was upended by a text scandal in which the Democrat said he wished a former Republican leader would watch his children be murdered.
The election will proceed as scheduled, but the scandal has left the community shaken—its local politics now defined by the kind of vitriol usually reserved for national campaigns.
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