Councilman Michael Scarneo Facing Scrutiny Over Incident

Viral video captures him swatting phone from a picketer’s hand after contentious Dover Town Council meeting.

Former Dover council member Karol Ruiz hangs a sign before the contentious Sept. 9 town council meeting. (Photo/David Arredondo)

By David Chmiel

Dover Councilman Michael Scarneo was involved in an incident with a group of activists protesting the contentious Sept. 9 council meeting that involved the first reading of an ordinance to reorganize the Police and Fire departments. 

In a series of videos that have gone viral on Facebook, former councilwoman Karol Ruiz berated Scarneo after the meeting at close to midnight.

Ruiz was yelling at Scarneo for supporting the ordinance that would create a Department of Public Safety, to be led by a civilian Director of Public Safety. The change would strip Police Chief Jon Delaney and Fire Chief Paul McDougall of their positions. Chief Delaney and Mayor James P. Dodd have leveled various charges and lawsuits against each other over various issues.  

The contentious meeting also included heated public comment where Ruiz and other residents criticized Mayor Dodd and Scarneo for voting in favor of the ordinance. After the comments, Councilman Sergio Rodriguez read aloud an “anonymous” letter accusing Ruiz of having an affair with a police sergeant while serving as a council member. Rodriguez, facing charges from arrests in Dover, voted in favor of the ordinance.

Ruiz followed Mayor Dodd back into the front door of Town Hall to confront him about the mayor and Rodriguez's criticism of her. Then, she continued her criticism of Scarneo.

Scarneo was trying to answer the claims by Ruiz. The incident was captured on video by various people, including First Ward Town Council candidate Daniella Mendez and Maria Chacon. As the activists got near Councilman Scarneo with their smartphones, Rodriguez approached them and tried to get Scarneo’s attention. Then Scarneo smacked the phone from Chacon’s hand, and it fell to the ground.

This video was taken by Daniella Mendez, who was standing next to Chacon.

Ruiz criticized Scarneo’s actions, saying, “I’ve served alongside Michael Scarneo on both the Board of Education and on the Council, so the ease with which Mayor Dodd manipulates him and his failure to vote in the best interest of our community isn’t surprising to me. But I was surprised with his violent disrespect, assault, and property damage in response to citizens’ concerns.”

Mayor Dodd didn’t respond to requests for comment on the incident, but he did issue a release on the municipal website promoting a call for civility in the wake of the murder on Wednesday of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. “There is no joke in taking seriously the divisions that separate us today,” he wrote. “We are each accountable today more than ever for where we draw the line between robust debate and dehumanization.”

“I will not be commenting,” Scarneo wrote in an email. But Rodriguez shared his insights.

“After last night’s meeting, we were walking toward the van that was picking us up,” said Councilman Sergio Rodriguez on Wednesday. “Councilman Scarneo was with us, but on the way, he was stopped and surrounded without our noticing. As the rest of us waited by the van, we saw he was being harassed.

“When I went back to assist, Maria Chacon already had a phone in his face and kept moving it closer and closer. Councilman Scarneo was not angry or agitated; he spoke calmly the entire time. He later told me that the phone’s light was shining so directly into his eyes that it was hurting him and he couldn’t see. In what appeared to be a natural reaction, he swatted the phone away. At that point, I stepped in, urged him to leave with us, and we walked away.”

Chacon filed a police report about the incident. According to the Dover Police Department, the report was forwarded to the Morris County Prosecutors Office for review.

"I have a right to film his conversations with constituents, and I have a right to protest his votes and their votes," Chacon said. "He has no right to do what he did."

Mendez said of the incident, “What we witnessed was an attack on the very rights that make our democracy work. Residents have every right to film, to question, and to protest their elected officials. For a council member to slap a phone out of a resident’s hand is not only unacceptable, it is a blatant attempt to silence dissent. If our leaders can’t handle being questioned by the people they serve, they have no business holding public office. We will not be intimidated and will not stop demanding transparency and respect.”

T.C. McCourt said, “Anyone who puts themselves in a position of responsibility must be held to a higher standard. I believe that courtesy and respect have to go both ways. While I am quite annoyed that we always have to take the high road, even if others won’t, I believe we’ve all got to get better.”