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TOMS RIVER, NJ—Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent Michael Citta, who served as underboss to disgraced and convicted former Superintendent Michael Rittaco, is facing ethics charges alleging election interference and using public school resources to promote a Democrat political candidate for office in Toms River.

Toms River Republican candidate for council William Byrne said today that he has filed ethics charges against Citta after the superintendent held a political rally at Toms River High School North for Progressive Democrat Zachary Dougherty, including an advertisement on the billboard outside of the school and holding a political rally with students in attendance for Dougherty.

According to the complaint, Citta assembled over 100 voting-eligible students to attend a political rally for the Phil Murphy protege.

Citta is also facing ethics actions from Toms River School Board candidates Diane Oxley and Marisa Matarazzo after he sent them a cease-and-desist letter demanding they stop discussing the district’s 9.9% property tax increase. Those candidates claim the superintendent is engaging in election interference and violating their right to free speech through intimidation and threats.

That letter, sent to those candidates and township officials, claimed that candidates seeking office engaged in ‘libel’ and ‘defamation’ after noting the district’s 9.9% property tax increase in 2024.

In a recent letter to voters, the candidates referenced the district’s tax increase. Citta and the school district used the school board attorney to draft a threatening letter to the candidates, ordering them to cease discussion about the district’s 9.9% property tax increase. That increase has been widely reported by multiple newspapers and online media outlets.

The school district and Citta area also being accused of releasing that legal notice to Philip Brilliant before it was delivered to the candidates.

Additionally, the letter sent to candidates was published by Philip Brilliant, an ally and political appointee of former Mayor Hill, before the candidates received the letter from Citta. Brilliant serves as a commissioner on the Toms River MUA, where he receives a full public health benefits package to attend a monthly meeting of that board.

Brilliant has led a political charge against Toms River Republicans since Hill lost the election in 2023. He stands to lose his health insurance benefits if he is removed from the MUA.

Township officials warned Citta in a formal letter regarding Citta’s political meddling and interference, “The township is curious as to how the individual who maintains the social media page received the letter before it would be possible to obtain it through an Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request and will caution the Board that it is certainly not appropriate for any of its members to be intermeddling in politics in their official capacities.”

Byrne said that Citta’s decision to use public resources, namely hosting a political campaign event for his Democratic opponent Zachary Dougherty and using the school’s outdoor roadside billboard to promote the Democratic candidate, violates New Jersey ethics and election laws.

“The Township has also become aware that Toms River High School North hosted Zachary Dougherty, a candidate for Toms River Township Council- Ward 2 in the upcoming November 5 election. Mr. Dougherty had the opportunity to speak (campaign) in front of over 100 seniors at Toms River High School North, who, by Mr. Dougherty’s statement, “will be voting for the first time this fall,” the letter from the township attorney stated.

New Jersey law forbids school officials from engaging in political activities and endorsements through their official capacity as school board members or school employees or to use official public resources to promote political candidates for office.

Byrne is running as a Republican under former U.S. President Donald Trump in the November election. Dougherty, a former aide to U.S. Senator Cory Booker and close ally of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is running on the Democrat line under Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Superintendent Citta violated New Jersey School Ethics law when he used school district resources to advertise and endorse a political candidate under his official capacity as superintendent,” Byrne said.

Dougherty posted online that the school district had assembled over 100 Toms River High School North students of voting age to attend the political campaign rally for Dougherty in which they were provided campaign literature and met with campaign signs for the Democrat candidate.

According to the New Jersey School Ethics Act, “No school official, or member of his immediate family, or business organization in which he has an interest, shall solicit or accept any gift, favor, loan, political contribution, service, promise of future employment, or other thing of value based upon an understanding that the gift, favor, loan, contribution, service, promise, or other thing of value was given or offered to influence him, directly or indirectly, in the discharge of his official duties.”

Toms River School Board candidates Diane Oxley and Marisa Matarazzo also plan to file ethics and election interference complaints against Citta.

Mayor Dan Rodrick, to whom the school board cease and desist letter was addressed, refused to comment on the matter through email, saying, “I have no comment. I don’t want to get involved, although I’m sure they’ll try to smear me anyway.”

Rodrick later said when reached by phone, “This is a legal matter, and I have no comment.”

The Toms River School District was asked to respond; however, the district rejected emails sent to it by Shore News Network for comment.