Hobie Young, who posted vile doctored images on Facebook, vows to go to court
Normally sedate U.T. Committee meeting was anything but that Monday night
By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
UPPER TOWNSHIP – Just over a week after stating he would resign from the Upper Township Committee “effective immediately,” a newly defiant Hobie Young told board members at the Monday night meeting that he never officially resigned.
Young announced his resignation to reporters and on social media the week before, after controversy built over memes he shared on his social media account. Many commenters found the images to be vile and disturbing, particularly because they were shared by an elected official.
In the aftermath of the controversy, a Facebook group was created called “We stand with Hobie Young.” In a short time, it amassed more than 400 members.
In a dramatic opening to the Oct. 26 meeting, he told committee, “I’ll see you in court.”
Apparently unaware that he was still audible, he then referred to the rest of the board members using an obscenity, saying they were “lying assholes.” After realizing he was still on the remote meeting, he apologized for his language and disconnected.
The township hired attorney Frank Corrado to advise committee members on the matter. His opinion is that Young is no longer a member of the governing body. He told committee members they should make no comment about Young at the meeting, citing the likelihood of a lawsuit.
“I have reviewed the statute. I have reviewed the case law. My opinion is that the seat formerly occupied by Mr. Young is vacant at this time,” Corrado said at the start of the meeting. He said Young filed a written resignation. “Mr. Young is not currently a member of the municipal committee. I understand that Mr. Young may have an opposite or a different opinion and if that’s the case he has legal remedy.”
Corrado advised committee members not discuss the seat at all, given the likelihood that the matter would end up in court.
Young came to the virtual meeting as usual, wearing his blue Upper Township shirt, and seemed surprised when his name was not said during the meeting roll call. He said he spoke with attorneys who “totally disagree” with Corrado’s opinion. “I talked to the mayor and (township attorney) Dan Young and got nothing but misinformation. I did not send in a signed letter stating my resignation. I sent an email to Barb saying I was going to resign.”
Township Clerk Barbara Young and attorney Dan Young share a surname with Hobie Young, but none of the three are directly related.
Young said at the meeting he stated he would resign, but never submitted a signed letter of resignation.
“At this point, this will be handed over to my legal team and you will be hearing from my lawyer at a very soon date,” Young said. “You are wrong in this interpretation and bottom line, I was bullied by the people outside and I was bullied by the people inside.”
Corrado said Young submitted a valid resignation on Oct. 19 and reiterated his opinion that the committee seat is vacant.
“If the matter is to be litigated in court then it’s to be litigated in court. That’s the place for it to be resolved and it’s inappropriate for there to be any further discussion of the matter at this time,” Corrado said.
Young left the virtual meeting a few minutes after it started, but the drama continued, with multiple speakers weighing in during the public comment portion of the meeting, both about Young and about a parade of vehicles in support of President Trump, at which one of the participants reportedly displayed a Confederate flag. (See related story.)
It was an extraordinary display at a typically quiet meeting, with more than 140 people sitting in via their computers and phones. The number of commenters presented a challenge in determining who would be the next to speak.
Young drew intense condemnation on social media and elsewhere after he shared two altered images of California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president. Many critics found the images were deeply misogynist, with condemnation coming from Democrats and progressives throughout Cape May County, but also from his fellow Republicans on Township Committee.
One doctored image showed Harris performing oral sex on a Joe Biden poster. The other doctored image was from her vice presidential debate, showing her legs spread beneath the table where she was seated along with a vulgar tag line.
Mayor Rich Palombo said he found the posts personally offensive, and Committeeman Curtis Corson, seeking reelection this year, issued a statement praising Young’s work with the recreation program but unequivocally condemning what he posted.
“The post was vile and disgusting and does not reflect my values or those of my campaign,” he wrote. “As the father of a daughter and the grandfather of a new baby girl I found the post both inappropriate and offensive.”
Committee members expect to appoint a new committee member, chosen from names recommended by the township Republican organization. But the future of the seat seems up in the air if Young goes to court to remain on committee.
Several speakers at the meeting said anyone who criticized Hobie Young came under attack from supporters, including threats of violence. Others declined to give their home address, requested of every speaker at the municipal meetings, citing fear over potential retaliation.
Anyone who feels threatened should contact the state police, said Dan Young. Early in the lengthy public comment portion of the meeting, attorney Steve Scherzer of the firm Cooper Levinson said he was hired by a number of women in the township and warned against making threats, saying they amount to hate speech.
“I’m here to tell everyone responsible for sending out vile posts and threats, I’m giving you a final warning that if you continue to violate the law there will be consequences,” he said. “It will not end well. It will end with everything you hold dear being in jeopardy.”
“Wasn’t’ that a threat?” said someone on the line, who could not be identified. Scherzer said it was a promise.
Some speakers supported Young. Resident Carolyn O’Brien, and administrator of the page supporting Young, said the opposition to Young was organized by Cape May County Democrats, citing the spread of information.
“You can’t tell me that this wasn’t done in a political way in order to gain votes,” she said. “He was voted in and he should stay until his next term. Allow the voters the opportunity to vote him in or vote him out the next time around.”
People who did not like what he posted should have just kept scrolling, she said.
“It wouldn’t have turned it into this farce,” she said.
Other speakers cited Young’s work for the township and called the criticism disgraceful.
“To crucify the man is just heinous to me,” said Anthony Jackson.
Other speakers said people posted worse about Vice President Mike Pence and President Trump, an argument that Young had also used in the past.
But resident Erika Kelley said Young had a history of posting troubling items long before the current controversy. She said he has also taken offense to comments and posts from others and even demanded resignations, citing his reaction to the inclusion of a cartoon dog in an elementary school yearbook. She said Young called for board members to resign over the issue at the time, and stoked anger in the community.
“At that time, Mr. Young essentially incited a riot. He basically garnered a mob, very similar to what we’re seeing now,” she told committee. “He was mortally offended by a cartoon pug. Ironically, he can’t see why anyone would be offended today about the misogynistic images that he posted.”
In this year’s election, Democrat John Amenhauser has challenged Corson for a seat on committee, which is currently entirely Republican. The committee seats held by Palombo and Committeeman Ed Barr are up for election next year, with Young’s seat up for a vote in 2022.
Last week, both Young and Palombo said Young’s seat would be filled by a committee vote until the next election, at which point that person could run in November of 2021 for the remainder of his term.
