EDISON, NJ – The Edison Township Board of Education (BOE) has issued a sharp rebuke to Mayor Sam Joshi, criticizing his decision to host a separate time capsule event at James Madison Intermediate School (JMI) and accusing him of politicizing school facilities just days before a primary election. Board President Jerry Shi and Vice President Vishal Patel released a joint statement condemning the Mayor’s actions, calling a recorded video statement from Joshi “self-serving and political” and highlighting the use of an official township email for what they contend is campaign material.
The controversy stems from a time capsule ceremony originally planned by the Edison School District and BOE for 10:00 AM on June 2, with full participation from JMI students, staff, and Class of 2000 alumni. Mayor Joshi was invited to this school-day event and was scheduled to speak.
However, according to the joint statement, Mayor Joshi subsequently requested the ceremony be moved to the afternoon, after school hours, a time when student and staff participation would not be possible. The district reportedly made it clear that any such gathering would be considered a private, non-school-sponsored event.
The Board’s deep concern escalated when the Mayor’s office released promotional materials that “falsely listed the BOE as a co-host of this private, after-hours event—scheduled just one day before election voting began, in an election where Mayor Joshi is a declared candidate.
In their joint statement, Board President Shi and Vice President Patel did not mince words:
“To clarify the messaging in Mayor Joshi’s recent video: The Edison School District and Board of Education (BOE) originally scheduled a time capsule ceremony for 10:00 AM on June 2, with full participation from JMI students, staff and class 2000 alumni. Mayor Sam Joshi was invited and scheduled to speak during this meaningful, school-day event.
Mayor Joshi later requested the ceremony be moved to the afternoon, after school hours—a time when student and staff participation is not possible. The district made it clear that any such gathering would be considered a private, non-school-sponsored event.
The Board became deeply concerned when the Mayor’s office released promotional materials falsely listing the BOE as a co-host of this private, after-hours event—scheduled just one day before election voting began, in an election where Mayor Joshi is a declared candidate.
This unauthorized use of the Board’s name not only violated longstanding policies that safeguard the nonpartisan role of public schools, but also misled the public into believing the BOE was endorsing a political campaign.
The flyer from the Mayor’s office has caused significant alarm among parents and community members who rightly expect schools to remain politically neutral. Many residents have reached out to the Board to express concern over the politicization of school facilities.
In response, the Board leadership was compelled to issue a formal statement disassociating itself from the Mayor’s event and reaffirming a clear and unwavering position: students will never be used as political props in Edison.
We thank the community for its vigilance and support in upholding the integrity and neutrality of our public schools.”
Further exacerbating the situation, Mayor Joshi sent out his explanation regarding the event from an official edisonnj.gov email address (achaudhry@edisonnj.gov) and posted it on Edison TV. This action clearly triggers a New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) reporting requirement, particularly given its proximity to the primary election. Campaign finance laws in New Jersey mandate disclosure of expenditures and contributions, and the use of official municipal resources for what the BOE alleges is political messaging could constitute an in-kind contribution requiring reporting.
The Board’s firm stance highlights a growing tension between the municipal administration and the school district, with the BOE asserting its commitment to keeping educational institutions free from political influence, especially in the sensitive period leading up to an election. The incident has sparked conversations among Edison residents about the appropriate use of public resources and the neutrality of schools in local politics.
