Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By simmons on February 16, 2017

ROSELAND A text message string containing racial and ethnically insensitive language has called attention to the male members of the Roseland Mayor and Council that were included in the exchange.

Mayor John Duthie and Councilmen Rich Leonard, Peter Smith, David Jacobs, Mark Vidovich and Thomas Tsilionis were listed as part of the chat that received the messages.

Councilwoman Michele Tolli was not.

According to Leonard, the conversations included on the long-running text string ranged from official business, such as water main breaks and committee appointments, to informal discussions, such as vacation plans and was similar to a running email chain.

Some portions of the chain between members of the boroughs governing body became problematic recently when language used in them employed racial and ethnic slurs.

The Progress became aware of the existence of these text messages last month when members of the Roseland community reached out and said they had seen inappropriate exchanges between members of the Roseland Mayor and Council and felt the voters needed to know.

Roseland Borough has been trying to deal with its affordable housing obligation and the governing body will be voting on the issue and planning strategy on how to make their mandated number of units. Affordable housing is traditionally for low-income families. These units also tend to be more diverse, and would likely have a higher percentage of minorities than traditional housing in Roseland.

The content of the text messages sent included racially insensitive language that members of the Roseland community took issue with, particularly when those involved in the exchange are making decisions on behalf of the community on issues like affordable housing.

In pursuing the story, The Progress contacted all members of the governing body and Borough Administrator Jock Watkins via email, requesting copies of the text messages and any other exchanges that included multiple members of the governing body.

Duthie, Smith, Jacobs, Vidovich and Tsilionis did not respond to the request, made Friday, Feb. 3. Watkins responded requesting clarification on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Leonard, whose adult life has been immersed in borough politics, shared copies of the exchange after meeting with The Progress staff on Friday, Feb. 3.

Leonard was one of the council members included on the text messages and he highlighted one exchange that took place over the Memorial Day weekend in 2016.

In the texted exchange in late May last year, Tsilionis, who is of Greek descent, asks Jacobs, who is Jewish, David how do I become Jewish? I want to be half Jewish, followed by a slang reference to alleged Jewish frugality, and half African-American, followed by a word referring to the supposed procreational prowess of African-American males.

Jacobs responds with a reference to the ritual procedure that a Rabbi would have to perform on Tsilionis.

I am legally changing my name to ShwarzNigga, replied Tsilionis.

This elicits a laugh-out-loud text from Jacobs, who then needles Tsilionis over his presumably undersized maleness.

During a follow-up interview with Leonard Saturday, February 4, he mentioned his inappropriate and sad assessment of the texting that took place between the two councilmen, noting that others to whom he had shown the messages had widely differing comments about them.

When Leonard was asked why he waited to release text messages from eight months ago, he replied that he did not recall that they had happened that far back, and offered no further explanation.

Telephone interviews with the other five council members and the mayor took place from Sunday, Feb. 5 through Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Tsilionis said he had no recollection of this exchange, but acknowledged that he and Jacobs often conduct this type of banter in other venues, during which Jacobs responds to him with teasing repartee over his Greek heritage, Tsilionis said.

After having the texted quotes read to him, Tsilionis insisted that neither he nor Jacobs harbor any anti-Semitic, anti-African-American or anti-Greco bias.

I have many African-American friends and half the employees in my business are African-American, declared Tsilionis.

Regarding the possible reason behind Leonards whistleblowing, Tsilionis contended that Leonard is still smarting over having four councilmen fail to vote him in as council president during the governing bodys reorganization meeting last month; Councilwoman Michele Tolli had given the sole support to Leonards candidacy.

The reason Tsilionis gave for rejecting Leonard for council president was allegedly several conflicts of interest Leonard supposedly has been involved in, presumably relating to his real estate business in the center of town.

I dont want anyone as council president who has a conflict of interest, said Tsilionis, adding that he chose to keep quiet about it until feeling forced to mention it now.

Jacobs expressed ignorance of the matter when this issue was described to him and that he had no recollection of the messages in question. He rejected an offer of having the text-message thread read to him, explaining that he had no time because he was about to leave for New York City with his family.

Tolli said she had never heard about these text messages, that she was not involved in the string of them, and that her focus on the council is communicating with residents to promote civic, social and charitable activities throughout the community.

She declined to hear the Tsilionis-Jacobs exchange read to her, indicating she did not feel comfortable commenting on it, other than to say that whenever Tsilionis tries to be humorous, he never is.

Regarding the conflict of interest allegations against Leonard, Tolli said that she has seen no evidence of it.

Tolli also explained her vote in support of Leonards council presidency.

I think everyone should have a chance to be council president, Tolli said.

Councilman Peter Smith declined to have the messages read and insisted that his views of their synopsis described to him be kept off the record due to wariness over the accuracy of press quotes. He referred to what he called an inaccurate quote his wife, Dawn, had experienced with the Star-Ledger relating to her position on the West Essex Regional School Board.

It should be noted the Star-Ledger is in no way connected to The Progress.

At the reorganization meeting last month, Smith had said he cast his vote against Leonard becoming council president because the whistle-blowing councilman often goes off the reservation.

Council President Mark Vidovich, who was away on a business trip, indicated through the Roseland borough clerks office that he would prefer a contact through email.

The email query he preferred awaits his response.

Mayor John Duthie said he was convinced the conversation read to him was nothing more than joking among friends that has no bearing on borough business, and delivered in language that has lost the shock value it once had in society, and that it is no different than what would be bandied about in talk on a sidewalk, he said.

He referred to Leonards release of the text-messages as sour grapes and that the councilman has a personal vendetta underway.

Referring to the dialog involved, Duthie said bawdy references to male and female reproductive organs and functions are prevalent in public and throughout the media, even on the national political scene, and that the citizenry has become desensitized to them.

Giving further example, he said, his sons experience as a student in West Essex Regional High School revealed to him that sex education teachers there discuss reproductive activities using the anatomically accurate names of male and female bodily organs, describing in detail their functions.

Roseland is a great town, he said, and listed many accomplishments for which his administration is proud, and that this controversy must not diminish them.

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Racial slurs, anti-semitic text messages sent by Roseland councilman - New Jersey Hills

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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