A New Jersey school board member faces an ethics investigation after writing several Facebook posts degrading Muslim lawmakers, including a post that his “life would be complete” if Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib died.
Tom Rivers Regional school board member Daniel Leonard wrote the since-deleted post involving Tlaib alongside a Fox News story from April that included the congresswoman’s picture.
“My life would be complete if she/they die,” Leonard, 42, wrote of Tlaib.
Leonard shared another video of Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar claiming “some people did something” regarding the 9/11 attacks, writing “Terrorist ……. 100%,” according to screenshots.
He also posted a photo in April of a Barbie doll covered in bruises and wearing a hijab. The caption on the photo says, “Sharia Barbie … Comes with jihab, bruises, & Quran.”
School Board Attorney Stephan R. Leone told the Asbury Park Press that Leonard’s Facebook comments “are totally inappropriate, not condoned by the Board of Education, and do not reflect the board’s attitude or opinions.”
Leone also said that the school board would take appropriate action after deciding which violations of school board ethics occurred. The Board of Education will meet Wednesday with a public meeting to follow.
Leonard’s posts also elicited a call for resignation from the New Jersey Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
“The bigoted, hateful and threatening social media posts shared by this elected board of education official serve to disqualify him for any position that has responsibility for the safety, security and well-being of New Jersey’s diverse student body,” Executive Director James Sues said in a statement.
Leonard declined to comment on either statements of condemnation from CAIR-NJ or Leone. “If it’s on my Facebook page, you can use it,” he said. Leonard neither confirmed nor denied that he was the author of the Facebook posts.
