Haverford man complains of spat at polling-place
HAVERFORD >> Speaking at a Haverford School Board meeting last week, Todd Horton said he wanted to inform the public and the board about an “unfortunate incident” that recently occurred on Chatham Park Elementary School grounds.
The incident concerned a dust-up between Horton and school director Russ Bilotta at the polls during the May 16 primary election.
A Havertown resident for three years, Horton stressed that he is “not a member of any social or political organization” and had no prior involvement with political or school board election campaigns.
The night before the primary, however, Horton decided to jump into the political arena and help a school board candidate whose values seemed most aligned with his own. Horton declined to identify the candidate, maintaining it was irrelevant to his story.
“I was looking forward to being part of the process,” Horton said.
Reporting to the 8-3 polling place at 7 a.m. to serve as a greeter, Horton approached the first person he saw outside the school, not recognizing Bilotta, who is seeking a fifth term.
“Are you here to vote today?” Horton asked.
Horton said that when Bilotta saw his literature for another candidate, “He accosted me, began yelling in my face, ‘Who are you? You can’t come up to me like that. Do you know who I am?
“‘You probably don’t even know who’s on the school board. You can’t come at me like that.’”
Bilotta “invaded my personal space ... made me feel physically threatened,” said Horton.
“It is my feeling that he intentionally tried to intimidate me … I want quality education as much as anyone, but accosting and intimidating others is a horrible way to go about getting that. I would ask the board to consider whether it’s becoming for a Haverford school director to ever behave in such a hostile manner in public, let alone as an incumbent in a primary in front of a polling place where a private citizen volunteered to help with our process … The incident revealed to me the sense of entitlement in this individual as he came dangerously close to expressing contempt for democracy.”
Horton said Ron Vitale, a resident voting that day, described the encounter in a letter Horton later sent to school directors. Vitale stated that during the portion of the altercation he witnessed, Bilotta “yelled loudly and had himself worked up. He had gotten into the younger man’s (Horton’s) personal space and was yelling at him … I did not see Russ touch Todd at all. He was loud, in Todd’s face.”
Bilotta did not respond to Horton’s comments at the meeting. School director Joe Martin described his own, less heated exchange with Horton at the same polling place later that day.
Solicitor Greg Parker recommended closing the forum because the discussion had gone far afield of its intended purpose — allowing citizens to comment on agenda items or matters likely to come before the board.
Board President Denis Gray said school directors are available for discussion after meetings or via phone and email.
Asked later if he concurred with Horton’s story, Bilotta said, “I am not going to deny that I might have raised my voice with Mr. Horton at the polling place. But that happens a lot at polling places.”
Bilotta said Horton “approached me more aggressively than any other poll worker would, asking me if I was a voter, and handing me the literature.
“I said, ‘Excuse me, my name is Russ Bilotta. I’m a candidate for the school board.’ He said, ‘Well, you’re not my candidate’ and tried to give me the literature again.
“It escalated a little bit. I don’t know if the word accosted is a good word. It was more of a confrontation,” said Bilotta.
“I’ve been in the public eye, for 16 years on the board. If you’re supporting candidates, you’re going to know who’s on the board.”
Bilotta further denied that he physically threatened Horton.
“I am not an aggressive person. I am a person who can talk down someone,” he said.
And, Bilotta alleged that Horton “is definitely part of the (Havertown Community Action Network) movement, a grassroots group that Bilotta said has “introduced politics into the school board this election.”
Bilotta thinks Havertown Community Action Network is supporting a Democratic slate of candidates.
“Never has politics been an issue at our board,” Bilotta said. “We have worked diligently to keep it that way, because we’re there for the best of the school district and the children.”
“There’s a big loop going on here … This is all intertwined,” he said.
Additionally, Bilotta said he “isn’t sour grapes” about his poor performance among Democrats in the primary, where he trailed five other candidates, including Kristin Larsen, Sal Scinto, Susan Mingey and incumbents Phil Hopkins and Denis Gray. All crossfiled.
Bilotta fared better among Republicans, garnering the second-highest tally.
Horton stated in an email, “I don’t speak for anyone but myself. I am not a member of Citizens for Quality Education, Haverford Dems, HCAN or any other political or social group. I am an individual, private citizen who was accosted and bullied by … elected school board members.
“This specific event and my speaking out about it is based on not wanting anyone who treats anyone the way I was treated to have shared responsibility for millions of taxpayer dollars” and influence over education policy, he said.
Havertown Community Action Network President Allie Armstrong wrote in an email that her group strives to “uphold progressive values and encourage political action. We do not endorse candidates or specific political parties.”