By T.S. EVANS
Staff Writer

VENTNOR – There was quite a stir at the Ventnor Middle School when campaign literature was found in teachers’ mailboxes Tuesday morning, March 18. 

Campaign literature is not permitted in the schools.  It is against the law to distribute any campaign material in a school building, and no one had approached the superintendent prior to distributing the material, Superintendent Carmine Bonanni said.

Bonanni said the school secretary arrived at the Ventnor Educational Community Complex early in the morning and spotted campaign fliers in the teachers’ mailboxes.  She immediately removed them, but a few teachers who arrived earlier had already found the papers.

The fliers solicited volunteers for the incumbent candidates’ campaign for the upcoming election for City Commission.

Bonanni said he hadn’t yet determined whether or not the material was placed by a school employee.

“I can’t imagine anyone on my staff that would do this,” he said. “The school building is open in the evening for recreational use, and the doors are open at 7 a.m. in the morning.  Anyone could have come into the building and placed the literature in the mail slots.  Whoever did it knew which teachers lived in Ventnor, because those were the only mail slots targeted.”

He said there would be a thorough investigation into the incident.  Both Ventnor Mayor Tim Kreischer and election commissioner John Mooney have asked for an investigation. Bonanni said if it turns out to be a staff member there will be serious repercussions.  He said he was doubtful the incumbents had anything to do with the placement of the campaign materials.