A New Jersey board of education member at the center of a viral text-message scandal was reportedly targeted in a second, even more hostile private chat, The Post has learned.
Screenshots reviewed by The Post appear to show Mitesh Gandhi — whose wife, Aditi, also sits on the board — making aggressive and inflammatory remarks about Marlboro mother of three, Danielle Bellomo. Gandhi, 47, also suggested he was “working on a few things,” according to the messages.
A New Jersey judge has extended a protective order for Danielle Bellomo against Mitesh Gandhi, whose wife serves alongside Bellomo on the Marlboro Board of Education.
During a hearing this week in Monmouth County Superior Court, the judge read aloud a series of inflammatory messages Gandhi allegedly sent, including comments expressing a desire to see Bellomo “crack,” according to witnesses.
Bellomo, 38, sought to have the protective order extended, and the judge denied Gandhi’s request to dismiss the case. The order — which bars Gandhi from contacting Bellomo and requires him to keep his distance — will now remain in effect until January, Bellomo’s attorney, Tim Howes, told The Post.
“We wanted to get through this for the protection of my family,” Bellomo said.
Newly disclosed messages entered into the record came from a chat between Gandhi and another Marlboro parent, whistleblower David Pucciarelli. In them, Gandhi allegedly used a derogatory term to describe Bellomo and suggested making her life “miserable” in various ways.
Pucciarelli, a father of two who received the messages and attended the court hearing, said he initially dismissed the texts as local gossip but is now prepared to testify in the case.
According to screenshots provided to The Post, Gandhi sent messages expressing extreme hostility toward Bellomo, including remarks suggesting he wished her harm and intended to aggressively “go after” her.
Bellomo said she has feared for her own safety and that of her family.
“I didn’t know who Danielle was — I just let him keep talking,” said Pucciarelli, 50, who told The Post he met Gandhi when their children played on the same soccer team. “He brought her up all the time. I wish I could go back in time and never respond to it.”
Pucciarelli eventually shared the messages with Bellomo, who reported them to police in September and secured a protective order.
At one point in the exchange, Gandhi also referenced police officers showing up at his home.
Screenshots reviewed by The Post show Gandhi using profane language to describe Bellomo and suggesting he intended to seriously disrupt her life.
Gandhi had previously been accused of participating in a group chat titled “This Bitch Needs to Die” along with Marlboro Board of Education vice president Chad Hyett, former board candidates Scott Semaya and Nirav Kadakia, and former public school teacher Lenny Thor.
The disturbing exchange went viral in October after a photo circulated on social media showing Semaya at a public meeting typing a sexually inappropriate comment about Bellomo. The uproar led Semaya and another board candidate to drop out of the race. The controversy also drew national attention, including from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who condemned the behavior in a post on X.
Last week, New Jersey police and prosecutors announced they would not pursue criminal charges, prompting backlash from some in the community.
An attorney for Semaya has said that his client “never committed a crime.” Hyett, Kadakia, and Thor have not responded to previous requests for comment. A lawyer representing Gandhi declined to comment.
