As Lower Bucks Source reported exclusively last week, turmoil exists on the Bristol Borough School Board, pitting School Board President David Chichilitti against Superintendent Dr. Rose Minnitti when they had a confrontation on April 30 at Bristol High School in the cafeteria.
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Minnitti called Police after the confrontation and filed a report alleging harassment intimidation sources with knowledge of the report told this publication.
Chief of Police Steve Henry said the department took a report of an incident which took place at the High School on April 30th. No students were present or involved in the incident.
Subsequently, the School District’s top administrator engaged the services of a personal attorney, hiring Amy Guerin, of the Parker McCay law firm. Guerin, a source told LBS last week, sent out letters to several school board officials announcing the possibility of a legal action specific to the board and it president, David Chichilitti.
That letter in its entirety was provided to Lower Bucks Source earlier this week anonymously with explosive allegations made against the school board president, however, there was no announced plan of litigation against the School District, as previously reported.
This publication will not post the *actual letter, however excerpts tell the story from Minnitti’s point of view.
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Among the allegations made in the letter by Guerin:
- Chichilitti has engaged in “pattern and a practice of abuse, intimidation and harassment
- School Board President berated the Superintendent in front of an employee and ripping a security camera off the wall.
- Not following chain of command by meeting with a cafeteria employee and her husband
- Chichilitti repeatedly threatening Minnitti saying “he has the votes to remove…” her and he would not approve her negotiated raises, giving them to other district employees.
Guerin in the letter says the inciting event for the school board presidents most recent outburst had to do with reports of “mice in the high school cafeteria.” The attorney outlines in the document a patters in which Chichilitti is allegedly abusive towards Minnitti and subsequently apologizes for his behavior.
Credit: The Comedy Works Bristol
At the most recent school board meeting, Chichilitti apologized publically for being “pretty aggressive” with Minniti, in discussing reopening the districts schools. The School Board President, said while thanking the hard work of the superintendent and administration said.
“If she hung up on me, I wouldn’t blame her,” he said.
Excerpts from the Letter:
“Mr. Chichilitti’s egregious behavior cannot be overlooked by the School Board as merely a “personality flaw… He repeatedly violates Dr. Minnitti’s rights as an employee, and his unprofessional conduct reflects entirely upon the board”
We respectfully urge Mr. Chichilitti’s removal as School Board President, his censure by the full School Board and mandatory training o the proper the role of school board members in a public school district,” Guerin wrote in the four-page document.
The School Board met on this past Tuesday for an executive session and is scheduled to meet tonight at Snyder-Girotti at 7 p.m.
School District Solicitor, David Truelove, of Hill Wallack, LLP, contacted late Wednesday night said in an E-mail exchange, “these issues will be addressed tonight.”
The publication attempted to communicate with the School Board President early Thursday. He did not reply to our questions when this story went to press. Chichilitti is seeking to be elected to a second consecutive term, in this his second run on the School Board.
Guerin and Minnitti also did not reply to requests for comment.
* Editors Note: To post the letter in its entirety could possibly expose the source that provided the document to Lower Bucks Source, therefore we are withholding it from publication.
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