NJ college board member extends protecting order after alleged demise threats

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Danielle Bellomo, a mother-of-three and New Jersey conservative school-board member, remembers the second she first noticed the textual content message that might change her life: "She will’t die quickly sufficient."

"Once I learn these phrases, ‘She will’t die quickly sufficient,' it stopped me in my tracks," Bellomo advised Fox Information Digital in an unique interview. "I at all times knew there was disagreement politically, however I by no means actually wrapped my head round the truth that they really wished me useless."

Bellomo, a Marlboro Township Board of Schooling member, mom of three and longtime group volunteer, is now on the middle of a case that has shaken her suburban New Jersey district and sparked outrage throughout the parental-rights motion nationwide.

A Monmouth County decide this week prolonged a short lived protective order in opposition to Mitesh Gandhi, the husband of one other college board member, after studying aloud a collection of textual content messages allegedly written by him. The messages included a gaggle chat titled, "This B---- Must Die."

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Danielle Bellomo, a New Jersey mom, was the topic of a viral textual content message scandal. (Danielle Bellomo through Fb)

In one of many textual content threads, Gandhi allegedly referred to Bellomo as "a mendacity c---" and wrote, "Mission is to only let her die by herself lol."

One other viral message, a part of what was dubbed "Nipplegate" in October, appeared to point out former board candidate Scott Semaya typing throughout a public assembly, "Bellomo should be chilly — her nips may lower glass proper n" with a finger about to press the 'o' on his cellphone's keyboard.

Fox Information Digital has reviewed screenshots of the alleged messages.

That picture unfold quickly on-line final month, drawing condemnation from dad and mom and even Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas, who referred to as the feedback "fallacious and evil." Two candidates concerned within the chat later dropped out of the school board race .

"It stunned me that it reached that degree," Bellomo mentioned. "But it surely didn’t shock me that conservatives stand behind each other. The parental-rights motion is powerful."

Bellomo has spent greater than a decade volunteering in Marlboro Township faculties. She says she ran for the board to assist curriculum transparency and parental rights, to not develop into a goal.

"I bought concerned within the college boards as a result of I’m an energetic volunteer in our group. I’ve been concerned with the parent organization that I account for occurring 12 years," she mentioned. "So I noticed the varsity board as the subsequent step in furthering my involvement in the neighborhood and I wished it to reinforce my youngsters’s academic expertise whereas they had been within the Ok-3 district. I by no means imagined that it might have led to this."

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Danielle Bellomo, a New Jersey mother, was focused in a gaggle chat referred to as "This B---- should Die" for her conservative political beliefs. (Danielle Bellomo through Fb)

The threats modified every thing inside her house.

"My son is nearly a young person. He used to go locations together with his associates — now he asks if somebody goes to come back to our home," she mentioned. "My 8-year-old cries if she thinks I've a board assembly. My youngest retains asking if I’m protected."

Her oldest son noticed the protection of grown males sharing lewd messages about Bellomo's physique on social media.

"That was humiliating for him," she mentioned. "He’s a middle-schooler. His associates noticed it. It has affected each a part of our life."

Based on Bellomo, online hostility in town isn’t new, however she mentioned she believes this has crossed into one thing much more critical.

"There’s at all times been Fb drama, individuals arguing," she mentioned. "Once I realized that there wasn't only one, however two completely different communications and probably, , who is aware of what number of extra the place one communication is a gaggle chat that was titled, 'This B---- must die,' after which the opposite is definitely plans and that there is a mission and the mission is to observe me die or to have me die alone..... It actually simply takes it to a complete completely different degree. It is like, this isn't simply regular disagreement. "

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Gandhi didn't reply to Fox Information Digital's request for remark. (Mitesh Gandhi through Fb)

The decide overseeing the protective-order listening to refused to dismiss Gandhi’s request to finish the order, permitting Bellomo’s protecting order to proceed via January, when a full trial might be held.

Beneath New Jersey legislation, a harassment-related protecting order could be prolonged if a decide finds an ongoing threat to the petitioner.

However on the legal degree, Bellomo says the Marlboro Police Department referred the case to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Workplace, which declined costs.

"I used to be disheartened, however not stunned," she mentioned. "We've a Democrat prosecutor. The police really useful costs, however he didn’t observe via."

Bellomo says probably the most painful half has been the response, or lack thereof, from her personal college district. One of many textual content threads, she claims, was despatched throughout an in-person board assembly whereas she sat simply ft away.

"Our township has insurance policies. If somebody is a risk, they’re not alleged to be allowed on college property," she mentioned. "Our superintendent, Dr. Michael Ballone, did nothing. Our board president, Brian Cohen, did nothing. They selected to not implement the insurance policies which are already in place."

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Lenny Thor, left, Chad Hyett and Mitesh Gandhi are a few of these named to take part within the alleged group chat. ( )

"The Marlboro Township Public Colleges (MTPS) takes the protection and safety of all board members, workers, college students, and households extraordinarily severely," Ballone wrote in a press release to Fox Information Digital.

"Administration has responded accordingly to Mrs. Bellomo's considerations, together with her expressions of feeling unsafe by working with the Marlboro Police Division, the entity chargeable for making certain all Marlboro residents (together with Board members) are protected. We additionally added to our inner security protocols which can't be disclosed publicly," Ballone added. "MTPS believes in sustaining a safe atmosphere for everybody."

Two fellow board members, Annette Siewert and Valentina Mendez, had been the one colleagues who stepped in, she mentioned.

"They begged the superintendent to guard us," Bellomo mentioned. "They stood up publicly and requested for motion. No person else did."

Bellomo says she has already heard from dozens of ladies who say her scenario has scared them away from public service.

"They are saying, ‘I may by no means undergo what you’re going via,’" she mentioned. "That’s heartbreaking. Native authorities mustn't require you to place your loved ones in danger."

"I used to go to each college occasion, each group exercise," she mentioned. "Now I hold the youngsters house from issues. I ship my husband inside first to verify if persons are there who shouldn’t be. My life modified in a single day."

Bellomo mentioned she believes the threats stem from her outspoken advocacy of curriculum and parental rights, points which have divided college boards throughout the nation.

"I used to be very clear throughout my marketing campaign," she mentioned. "I stand firmly for parental rights, native management and age-appropriate curriculum. And I’ve pushed again arduous on among the insurance policies coming down from the state." She added, "I believe that made me a goal."

Regardless of every thing, Bellomo mentioned she has no plans to stop the board.

"I completely need to proceed," she mentioned. "This mission is just too vital. And I hope the district ultimately implements the insurance policies which are supposed to guard us."

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What she desires most, she says, is to remind People that disagreement ought to by no means flip to calling for violence.

"We must always be capable to debate. We should be able to disagree ," Bellomo mentioned. "But it surely ought to by no means rise to the extent of wanting to harm somebody. We are able to do higher than this."