Toms River School Board Member Not Seeking Reelection

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional Board of Education member who has been the center of controversy over comments he posted to Facebook about two Muslim-American congresswomen is not seeking re-election to his seat in November.

Daniel P. Leonard of Beachwood, who was elected to the board in 2016 as the borough's representative, was not on the unofficial list of candidates for the school board election released Tuesday by the Ocean County clerk's office. The deadline for candidates' petitions for school board was 4 p.m. on Monday.

Two candidates did file petitions to seek the seat representing Beachwood: Melissa Morrison and Alex Mizenko. Mizenko is running on the "Students Teachers Taxpayers" platform. Mizenko ran against Leonard and Leslie Brown in 2016 for the Beachwood seat and finished second in that election.

While Leonard did not file a petition to run for reelection, he also has refused to resign from his seat despite calls from community members, Muslim groups and school board president Joseph Nardini to step down.

In a post on his Team Leonard Facebook page, Leonard wrote that he was not seeking reelection "because I no longer wish to compromise the integrity of my family or the amazing strides this district team has made over the past 3 years. I do however refuse to resign because I will not compromise myself or my First Amendment rights over the false narrative that terror support group CAIR and their supporters have waged upon me."

"As an elected official I am held to a higher standard — Yes! While I may have been provocative — regrettably ignorant in this case — I never called for anyone’s death as was spun in an attempt to frame the argument by my opposition. It was not a crime or a threat!" he wrote.

"I stand by the fact that if any Congress member chooses to partake in a politically motivated hunger strike while protesting a federal government entity such as ICE, I can care less if their end result ends up with the absence of a pulse! We are and will continue to be a nation of laws! As an elected official, asking your fellow citizens to partake in a hunger strike is irresponsible for a federal legislator - end of discussion," he wrote.

"I apologize to my supporters for putting myself in this position. The same thing that people love about my style has ultimately ended our collective mission!" he wrote. "I will never be good at being a 'politician' - I am a leader! We achieved a lot together ... I have no regrets other than not being able to see this referendum through and not being able to give our teachers more than they deserve in their coming contract renewal!"

"Again - it was never about 'me' it was about us! We kicked ass! I’m sorry I let you down but I have a feeling that the citizen who will be taking my place will make you proud! Thank you for allowing me to serve ....... I’ll be back one day!" he wrote.

The outcry began last Tuesday after the Council on American-Islamic Relations published screenshots of Facebook posts Leonard made in April about Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

Omar, a Somalian refugee who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000, has sparked anger with remarks regarding the 9/11 attacks that critics say minimize the killings of nearly 3,000 people in the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. Others have said Omar's comment was taken out of context and that she was trying to draw a distinction between the terrorists who committed the attacks and the Muslim population, USA Today reported.

Tlaib has spoken out against actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and called for a hunger strike to try to shut ICE down.

Leonard's posts called Omar a terrorist and of Tlaib he wrote: "My life would be complete if she/they die ..." Leonard has said he was specifically referencing the hunger strike and that he meant he hoped she would starve to death.

Read more:

• School Board Member's Anti-Muslim Facebook Posts Stir Anger
• Toms River Board Member Refuses To Resign Over Facebook Posts
• Petition Backs Toms River School Board Member, Calls For Rally

Note: This article has been updated with a statement Leonard posted on Facebook about his decision to not seek reelection.

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