A virtual West Norriton Township board meeting was hijacked this week by intruders who broadcast a racist slur, prompting officials to apologize and promise tighter cyber-security controls.
At a Glance
- A 52-second interruption during a Zoom meeting included a racist slur.
- Township officials disabled the Zoom portion and continued the meeting in person.
- Officials stress township data was never accessed; the breach was confined to the Zoom session.
- Why it matters: Residents worried about data safety can be reassured, and future meetings will screen every attendee before entry.
The disruption occurred as board members listened to a presentation. Static, described as microphone feedback, preceded the slur.
“It was only a couple of seconds, there was some loud noise, apparently something appeared on the manager’s screen and he shut it down,” said Roseanne Milazzo, President of the West Norriton Township Board of Commissioners.
News Of Philadelphia reviewed footage showing the interruption lasted about 52 seconds.
Milazzo said the meeting continued once the Zoom portion was disabled. Going forward, staff will verify each participant before granting access.
“In the future, we are going to have someone checking each and every person before they are allowed in,” she said.
The township posted an apology on Facebook to counter online rumors claiming broader system compromise. The statement read in part:
> “We sincerely apologize to residents who experienced disruptions during the Zoom portion of our recent Township meeting due to a Zoom bombing incident. We want to clearly address some misinformation that has appeared online: the Township’s data and network were NOT hacked, and no Township systems or information were accessed. Zoom operates as a separate, third-party platform and does not run through the Township’s internal network.”
Milazzo emphasized the racist content never reached township servers.
“The only reason the township posted a statement on social media was that a former resident was spreading irresponsible, misleading statements about the event, and we felt a responsibility to correct that,” she said.
Residents with concerns are encouraged to contact township officials directly.
Cyber-Security Tips
Professionals recommend these precautions for any online meeting:
- Use unique meeting IDs and strong passwords.
- Enable waiting rooms to screen participants before admitting them.
- Restrict screen-sharing to hosts only.
- Lock meetings once all expected attendees have joined.
- Avoid sharing meeting links on public platforms or social media.
Township leaders say additional safeguards are under review to keep future virtual meetings secure and accessible.
