Northfield, NJ Mayor is Suspended from officiating high school sports

Northfield, New Jersey Mayor Erland Chau has been suspended from officiating high school sports as a result of multiple criminal charges that have been filed against him recently.

Chau is a long-time New Jersey (NJSIAA) certified high school track and field and cross country official.

Chau has been charged with:

• possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
• disorderly conduct.
• harassment.

NJ Advanced Media for NJ.com was the first to report about this latest development involving Chau.

If you missed our initial coverage about what led to this latest action, here is a link:

Read More: Calls for Northfield, NJ Mayor to Resign & The Weapon Involved

The Northfield Police Department collaborated with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office before taking the following action against Chau:

Erland N. Chau, 72, of Northfield, was charged with Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, Disorderly Conduct, and Harassment, in consultation with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, following an investigation of an incident that occurred in the parking lot of Mainland Regional High School on October 1, 2024.

Atlantic County Republican Party Chairman Don Purdy wasted no time in calling for his fellow Republican to resign.

By comparison, Atlantic County Democrat Party Chairman Michael Suleiman has not called for Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small or Atlantic City Democrat Committee Chair Constance Days-Chapman to resign.

Small and Days-Chapman have been indicted by an Atlantic County grand jury.

Purdy told us:

This is direct response to reports of an incident involving Northfield Mayor Erland Chau and threats with a firearm. This sort of behavior is completely unacceptable. Threats are never ok, let alone with a weapon. Erland Chau needs to resign as mayor immediately; he is unfit for public office, said Purdy.

NJ.com reported on October 17, 2024 that ”Chau grabbed the starter pistol from his vehicle to "gain credibility" when the woman's car was blocking him from leaving his parking spot at the high school, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Chau was wearing an NJSIAA-issued referee's jacket for cross country officiating at the time he brandished the starter pistol,” reported NJ.com

SOURCE: NJ.com