Marlboro Republicans Propose Reforms To Protect Children
Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick, center-right, presents a campaign contribution to Council candidate Sui Allex, Mayoral candidate Ira Goldberg and Council candidate John Dwyer at the Bella Vista Country Club last month
Marlboro, NJ- The Marlboro Republican candidates for Mayor and Council responded to the news of a Township Camp Counselor pleading guilty to sexting photos of his genitalia to four 11-13 year old female campers with a four point proposal to reform the Recreation Department’s Summer Camp Program.
In a statement released this afternoon, Ira Goldberg, candidate for Mayor, and Council candidates Sui Allex and John Dwyer said they would implement the following reforms should they be elected on November 3rd:
- The Marlboro Recreation Summer Camp will be conducted in accordance with the New Jersey Youth Camp Standards that private camps are required to adhere to. These standards include an investigation into the backgrounds of all employees and potential employees who interact with children.
- A thorough review of all Recreation Department and Summer Camp employees will be completed before the 2016 Summer Camp commences. Appropriate disciplinary action and assignment changes will be enforced.
- Summer Camp employment will be offered to Marlboro teachers and retired teachers who know the campers and are trained to care for and educate our children and keep them safe.
- Marlboro Township will adopt the Monmouth County government’s personnel policies regarding Sexual Harassment including ongoing anti-harassment training.
The Republican candidates’ statement is particularly critical of Councilman Mike Scalea. Scalea, who is seeking his own full term on the Council after having been appointed to replace former Councilman Frank LaRocca last January. Scalea was a member of the Township’s Recreation Committee at the time that camp counselor Matthew Kleinstein, then 18, sent pictures of his penis to the young female campers via text message and Snap Chat.
“The news that four young girls were subjected to graphic sexual images shared with them by a Township employee while participating in a Township sponsored programs is deplorable,” said former Board of Education member John Dwyer, a candidate for Marlboro council. “Councilman Mike Scalea was a member of the Recreation Committee when this incident occurred. He has failed the people of Marlboro on the most fundamental level—the protection of our children and grandchildren. He failed to take corrective action. Instead, Scalea stood by in silence while the Recreation Committee, the mayor and Township Council let the employee finish working at the camp with younger children. They kept the incident secret for over a year. “
“This is crazy! The Hornik administration’s focus has been to protect the future of the camp counselor who victimized children in his care and to avoid a scandal that would reflect poorly on the administration,” said Sui Allex, candidate for Township Council. “The right thing to do is to focus on the young girls who were harmed and their futures while making sure such conduct never happens again.”
“I’m particularly concerned that Councilman Mike Scalea was a member of the Recreation Committee when this incident occurred,” said Ira Goldberg, candidate for mayor, “Scalea is either complicit in allowing the employee to continue to work with children after his actions became known or he is not fully engaged in the responsibilities he has taken on for the people of Marlboro.”
Mayor Jon Hornik told MMM last week that he could not address sexting issue because it is a personnel matter with litigation pending. Township Administrator Jonathan Capp declined to comment to the Asbury Park Press , citing the litigation filed by one the the campers and her guardian.
Goldberg was critical of Hornik for his silence.
“The silence on this issue by Mayor Hornik and all the Council Members is unfortunate,” Goldberg said. “Hornik is acting like a lawyer avoiding liability. He should be acting like an accountable leader. He should be taking action to ensure our children and grandchildren are safe when participating in Township events.”
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What has the County Prosecutor said about this? NOTHING!
These Republicans are making an issue because there is none for them to campaign on.
Keep it up R’s. Your going to see what miniscule support you have, wane only further.
Here’s the official statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office:
Matthew Kleinstein, 20, of Marlboro, pleaded guilty to an accusation on Aug. 17, 2015, to a charge of fourth degree Cyber Harassment.
Due to the nature of the charges and the juvenile status of his victims (four [4] females under the age of 18 years old) Kleinstein is charged under N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4.1(a)(2) with knowingly sending, posting, commenting, requesting, suggesting or proposing any lewd, indecent, or obscene material to a person. The incident occurred on or about June 28, 2014 while he was working as a camp counselor for the Marlboro Township Recreation Department.
Kleinstein has applied for PreTrial Intervention (PTI) and is scheduled for sentencing at 9 a.m. on Oct. 9 in the courtroom of Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Ronald Lee Reisner.
Defense attorney is Robert Honeker, Esq.
These republicans really are grasping at straws to try to pin this bad behavior on any of the council members or the Mayor.
Not taking care of our children? How about Mr. Dwyer not taking care of our children when he sat on the school board. How about his neglect in maintaining the schools, which we now all have to pay for. Honestly, the other two are nobody’s who no one ever heard of.
Btw, the reforms they are looking to put in place all of a sudden, are already in place in the rec department.
These people have no shot in winning the election this year. Mayor Hornik is doing a fantastic job and he is smart and cares about our town, as does Randi Marder & Mike Scalea.
It is going to be a long time until there is a republican on town council (besides Jeff Cantor & Carol Mazzola) because there are no viable candidates who offer any solutions to move Marlboro forward. I guess Shaun Golden backed another useless bunch of candidates that have no chance of winning.
The remnants of the Marlboro Republican party continue to be a joke. They have absolutely nothing to say.
Isn’t it curious that the Monmouth County Prosecutor, a Republican who was appointed by a Republican Governor, hose to release all this with a few weeks till election despite the fact that the incident occurs three years ago?
Coincidence? I think NOT
The notion that Dwyer did the right thing while on the BOE is laughable. He voted and approved all the contracts and raises and consistently voted AGAINST projects like putting roofs on schools. So much for his concern over maintaining the schools.
Do not be fooled by a few new faces on the posters. They are controlled by the same tired group of people who have either been forced out of the spotlight, sang like a canary to stay out of jail, or had dilutions of jobs in Washington,
The Republicans have yet to offer a single plan or idea going forward and they are grasping for any straw that they can find.
@”Defense attorney is Robert Honeker, Esq.”
After his despicable conduct in the Amanda Wengert rape and murder, that is no surprise. Some of us will not forget the crazy night of the open forum at Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School.