The atmosphere was thick with tension as the Pennsbury community voiced their concerns, accusing Liberal Board Members of misconduct and rallying behind Board Member Donna Ahrens, who advocated for a centrist approach to Gay Pride Flags in classrooms. Typically, Pennsbury School Board meetings see a sparse attendance of about 6 or 7 people once the Board and Administration’s use of children as pawns concludes. However, this meeting saw an unusual turnout, with around 30 people staying until the end. The public comment session was the longest since September 2021, during the lead-up to the First Amendment lawsuit.
What Led Up To Attacks On Ahrens?
For the past two months, the Liberal bloc members of the Pennsbury School Board have repeatedly targeted Donna Ahrens for her comments at the November 21st school board meeting. Ahrens questioned why Pennsbury allows political symbols in classrooms, which she believes violates Policy 321. She expressed concerns about any political symbols in the classroom, not just Gay Pride Flags. Ahrens also mentioned that employees felt pressured to display such symbols and that some constituents were worried that the presence of a Gay Pride Flag in a classroom might influence perceptions of a teacher’s character. She emphasized that the only flag that should be in a classroom is the American Flag. Instead of calling for the removal of the Gay Pride Flag, Ahrens proposed a middle ground solution, such as a display case for political symbols representing any club or group at Pennsbury.
RTKs revealed that Ahrens faced immediate backlash from her fellow Board Members following her public comments. She was accused of releasing confidential information, being insensitive to LGBTQ concerns, and lacking an understanding of children’s needs. Additionally, a Board Member’s spouse shamed her for receiving applause from community opponents of the School Board. This was followed by harsh prepared statements from Board Members Jeannine Delwiche, Donna Petrecco, and Linda Palsky, as well as criticism from known Liberal political activists outside the community, targeting Ahrens for not aligning with the Democratic Party’s stance on these issues.
Ahrens Unleashes On Her Fellow Board Members
Following a series of passionate public comments where speakers criticized the Liberal bloc of the School Board for various issues, including Gay Pride Flags, Identity Politics, and a lack of focus on children’s needs, the meeting transitioned to the voting segment. Several items were pulled after public concerns were raised about the Board’s rubber-stamping of items and lack of oversight. These included the approval of a new turf field at Walt Disney without a review of potential health concerns and funding for student registrations for a DECA competition for the Business Club. A video replay of Pennsbury School Board comment can be found in the YouTube video below:
Ahrens initiated the Board Discussion by reading her prepared statement, condemning the Liberal bloc of the School Board for what she perceived as personal attacks on her character. She first addressed Donna Petrecco, responding to her veiled assertions that Ahrens, not being a parent, lacked an understanding of children. Ahrens then turned to Delwiche, urging her to stop politicizing the Board and to respect the will of the people, citing polls that show the vast majority of Americans support removing political symbols from classrooms.
Ahrens then addressed Michael Celec, Delwiche’s husband, regarding his email that called for her censure and questioned her integrity for receiving applause from Delwiche’s opponents in the community, suggesting they were Ahrens’ “pet exception.” Ahrens reminded Celec that these individuals are her constituents and that she has a responsibility to listen to their concerns. Notably, Celec was the final public comment speaker, promoting his YouTube page, which features videos targeting Pennsbury School Board meetings and attacking private citizens for their perceived “unkind” communications with Pennsbury Board Members. It should also be noted that Celec had left the meeting room before Ahrens’ comments addressing his email communication.
Ahrens then turned her attention to Palsky, asserting that her comments misrepresented her stance on Gay Pride Flags. She firmly addressed Palsky, stating, “Don’t base your narrative on words that you put into my mouth.” Ahrens emphasized that such harmful narratives do not benefit the children in the Pennsbury School District.
Pennsbury “Mean Girls” Defend Their Misconduct
Despite Ahrens’ prepared statements, both Donna Petrecco and Jeannine Delwiche defended their actions. Petrecco claimed that her email and public comments were not intended to diminish Ahrens’ understanding of children due to her not being a parent. Delwiche shifted the focus to Pennsbury community members who opposed her policies, including tampon dispensers, transgender policies, the implementation of Title IX changes recently ruled unconstitutional, and her refusal to remove DEI policies. Delwiche also misrepresented her involvement with the Bucks County NAACP, suggesting she was merely a volunteer, despite LinkedIn references showing active membership by herself and her husband since her election to the Pennsbury School Board. She further claimed a physical incident against her husband during the meeting, although Falls Township Police, present in the room, took no action as the incident did not rise to such claims. Upon adjournment of the meeting, not captured on video, multiple members of the community asked for answers as to how Delwiche’s husband entered the Pennsbury Administration Building on January 9, 2025, despite heightened security measures implemented by the School Board in November 2024.
