Former President Dale Caldwell Resigns as NJ Lieutenant Governor

What a difference a year makes. 

Last year on November 4—Election Day 2025—the Democratic ticket of Mikie Sherrill for Governor of New Jersey and Dale Caldwell for Lieutenant Governor won the gubernatorial election with 56.8 percent of the vote.

Less than a year later, Dale Caldwell resigned his post as Lt. Gov. on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, after accusations and an independent investigation found repeated ethics violations and inappropriate behavior.

Governor Mikie Sherrill called for Caldwell to resign the day before, on Thursday, Sept. 24, after the law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP released a report saying, among other things, that Caldwell allegedly behaved inappropriately around women.

Caldwell has denied the allegations. On September 27, Caldwell published an Op-Ed on TAPinto New Brunswick titled “The Caldwell Investigation Made Headlines. My Record in Office Deserves Scrutiny, Too.” 

And just like that, Centenary found itself in the spotlight of media attention; the direct result of the Caldwell debacle.

Strolling onto campus on Tuesday, Sept. 29, just four days after Caldwell’s resignation, there was a palpable, heavy vibe. Students, faculty, and staff all felt it.

As The Cyclone Chronicle editors gathered in the student newspaper's club room, they all noticed it too and wondered what it could be.

Without missing a beat, one of our editors said what we all knew: "The NJ.com article." There it was; the elephant in the room and on campus had been revealed.

Parents told their kids attending Centenary about it. Co-workers of Centenary students asked questions. The emails flowed into the University's support services asking for clarification from advisers. Faculty and staff shared whispered conversations.

The article, "The NJ university Lt. Gov. Caldwell once led is now facing a serious crisis of its own," ran September 25. And with that, Centenary became a focal point.

The NJ.com article, written by Robb Jennings, got people connected to Centenary talking. The article outlined possible accreditation issues with the Middle States Commission of Higher Education (MSCHE), questioning financial and enrollment stability.

This has raised an important question throughout our Centenary community: should students be concerned?

The Executive Staff of The Cyclone Chronicle had the opportunity to sit down with President Schol and ask him this question.

Read President Schol’s response to the Centenary community in the preceding story.