Joseph DiBella has been on a leave of absence since September after he came under fire for allegedly "liking" racist Tweets.
MIDDLETOWN - The Brookdale Community College trustee accused of liking racist tweets on social media has resigned, the Asbury Park Press reported.
Joseph DiBella resigned from his unpaid position on the Board of Trustees on Thursday in a letter to school administrators, the newspaper reported.
Former Brookdale Community College Trustee Joseph DiBella (Brookdale Community College) DiBella took a leave of absence in September after he came under fire for allegedly "liking" racist posts on Twitter.
Students at the community college, including members of its student-run newspaper, The Stall, demanded DiBella's resignation in September after the former Republican Howell mayor apparently "liked" the social media posts that used racial epithets against President Barack Obama and activist Rev. Al Sharpton.
DiBella conteded his account was hacked and then later said someone might have created altered images of the tweets to make it appear as if he "liked" them.
He also hinted that the school's faculty union had something to do with the controversy over his Twitter account.
"These alleged liked tweets were revealed precisely as labor talks with the faculty association had taken a difficult turn," he said during a Sept. 20 trustee meeting.
"After 25 years of public life I do not believe in coincidences at all," he added.
DiBella, who said he received a "death threat" prior to taking his leave of absence, said he notified the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, which was still investigating if his account was tampered with as of Thursday, the Asbury Park Press Reported.
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