Campaign staffer fails to follow up on Centenary employee's complaint about lieutenant governor

A staffer for Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s 2025 campaign agreed to receive a complaint from a Centenary University employee about a hostile work environment at the school while Dale Caldwell was president. The employee contacted Leslie Bockol, the campaign’s grassroots outreach manager, in September 2025. Bockol arranged a telephone conversation for September 14, but did not appear and subsequently blocked the employee on the messaging platform.

Caldwell, who became New Jersey’s lieutenant governor and secretary of state in January, is under investigation by the governor’s office for alleged inappropriate behavior toward women, possible ethics violations, and questionable reimbursements. Former Attorney General Christopher Porrino was hired to lead the probe, which has been ongoing for at least two months, according to the New Jersey Globe.

Bockol, who also serves as Caldwell’s speechwriter, declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper, stating she was not authorized to speak. Raj Parikh, counsel for the Sherrill campaign, said the campaign reviewed the correspondence and engaged counsel in September 2025, concluding the matter related to internal faculty and administration discussions at Centenary. He added that staff were not directed to engage or block the individual.

Centenary President John Schol, who succeeded Caldwell, emailed university staff shortly after the Globe’s report, advising them not to speak with the media and emphasizing the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation. The university’s director of communications, Cara Daniello, said the institution takes safety and professional conduct concerns seriously.