New Jersey town's GOP mayor resigns after calling locals 'incestuous, illiterate, inbred imbeciles' in scathing Facebook post

The deputy mayor of a small town in rural New Jersey has resigned after allegedly being bullied over a scathing Facebook post she wrote four years ago. 

Natalie Stone stepped down from her role of deputy mayor of Tabernacle Township, located in the state's Pine Barrens region, earlier this month after having come under fire for a post she made about 'Pineys', a term used to describe residents in the area.

Stone, in August 2020, wrote in a group for the small development where she lived that there was 'actual truth' to Pineys being 'incestuous, illiterate, mentally deficient, inbred imbeciles'.

The GOP politician's post infuriated locals in Tabernacle Township, which brands itself as the 'gateway to the pines', and prompted calls last month for Stone to be 'fired' over her alleged 'racial remarks', The Pine Barrens Tribune reported.

Stone, who was elected in January, apologized for her comments at a public meeting, before ultimately resigning. She has now alleged that the real reason she quit was because she was the target of a bullying campaign.

Natalie Stone (pictured) stepped down from her role of deputy mayor of Tabernacle Township earlier this month after having come under fire for a post she made about 'Pineys', a term used to describe residents in the area

Stone wrote the post in August 2020, sharing it in a Facebook group for the small development where she lived

The former mayor, who also used to be in an actress in independent films, claims her critics dug up the social media post after she voted in favor of demolishing Tabernacle's 19th-century town hall.

She claims the outraged locals then created 'uncontrolled uproar' that was aimed at her, but 'not the two male committee members who voted the same'.

'There have been daily posts about me for two months straight,' Stone told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday.

'The reason I left was because I realized I wouldn't be able to get anything done when it was apparent that people would rather spend more time ridiculing committee members than working together to find solutions to the many issues in Tabernacle.'

Stone also revealed that when she wrote the controversial post, she had been reading New Jersey's Lost Piney Culture, a book by William J Lewis.

Her post said, in part: 'There is ACTUAL TRUTH to Pineys being incestuous, illiterate, mentally deficient, inbred imbeciles supposedly responsible for generations of morons and prostitutes.'

The remark resurfaced last month when a local reposted it, saying: 'This is how the Deputy Mayor of Tabernacle (a Piney town) feels about Pineys.'

Stone, who was elected in January, claims her critics dug up the social media post after she voted in favor of demolishing Tabernacle's 19th-century town hall (pictured). She claims the outraged locals then created 'uncontrolled uproar' that was aimed at her, but 'not the two male committee members who voted the same'

Natalie Stone officially stepped down from office on May 9. She publicly announced her resignation five days later and condemned the 'virtual mobs' who had launched 'personal attacks against me'

In response, residents and at least one local official called for her resignation during a town meeting last month. Committeeman William Sprague Jr told the meeting that Stone to be 'fired' and alleged: 'She made racial remarks!'. 

The crowd responded by shouting that that the deputy mayor should 'resign.' 

Stone officially stepped down from office on May 9, according to the Pine Barrens Tribune. She publicly announced her resignation five days later and condemned the 'virtual mobs' who had launched 'personal attacks against me'.

Stone was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She lived in neighboring Medford, New Jersey before moving to Tabernacle Township.

The actress turned local politician seemingly embraces the Pine Barrens region, saying on her IMDB profile that 'New Jersey's Pine Barrens are home to legends Natalie M. Stone and the Jersey Devil.'

She told the Inquirer she will continue to serve her community, 'but not as a politician'.