Wyckoff GOPers Speak Out Against Group's Alleged Racist Claim

WYCKOFF, NJ — Local Republicans are speaking out against an online post claiming they are engaging in racist election tactics.

Women for Progress, a nonprofit that works to further causes such as women’s health and gun violence prevention, posted on its Instagram page Thursday morning a picture of an Edison campaign flyer. The flyer states that school board candidates Jerry Shi and Falguni Patel should be deported.

Women for Progress stated in the post that "The NJ Republicans will stoop to any low to win. This is Edison. Similar tactics being used in Wyckoff. Your vote counts. Vote for integrity on 11-7-17."

Two Democratic committee candidates, Carla Pappalardo and Melissa Rubenstein, are members of Women For Progress. Neither Women for Progress nor Pappalardo responded to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

No similar Wyckoff flyer or election material could be found online to support Women for Progress's claim.

Wyckoff Mayor Rudy Boonstra, a Republican, said that racism, bigotry and other similarly-held beliefs have no place in Wyckoff.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," Boonstra said.

An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office last year touched on such issues after then-Police Chief Benjamin Fox sent an email to township police officers stating that racial profiling "has its place when used correctly and applied fairly."

"I've lived here for years and I've never encountered any racism," Boonstra said.

Candidates also spoke out against the Facebook post. Hayley Shotmeyer Rooney, daughter of former Mayor Kevin Rooney, said of the post: "To call it disgusting is just not adequate.

"It's an attempt by the local Progressives to bring their big-city, Democratic-style of divisive campaign tactics to a small suburban town that has been a tolerant and harmonious community for 90 years."

Republican Township Committee candidate Tim Shanley called the accusation "a bold-face lie."

Erin Chung, president and founder of Women for Progress, created the post. She said the post had nothing to do with racism.

"In my post, I was referring to the negative campaign that John Carolan, Rooney and Shanley have been running against Brian Scanlan, not racism," Chung said in a statement. "Their two mailers to town residents were unbelievable collections of falsehoods and half-truths. That is what I was referring to in my post. This level of negative campaigning has no place in a local political campaign, and they should be ashamed."

RELATED: Wyckoff Police Chief Steps Down Amid Racial Profiling Investigation

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