Resident accuses Knoch board president of intimidating canvasser
JEFFERSON TWP — A resident accused Knoch School District’s board president of intimidating someone outside of a polling station because of the candidate she was supporting. The board president denied the accusation.
During the public comment session of a school board meeting Wednesday, Nov. 12, a district resident said Board President Donna Eakin had intimidated her daughter outside of a polling station during the May primary election, and implied the young woman would lose her internship at the law firm that employs Knoch’s solicitor, Tom Breth.
“I believe that Mrs. Eakin violated this policy by intimidating my 19-year-old daughter as she represented a candidate at the polls during May’s primary, causing my daughter to leave her post,” said Michelle Rhodes, a district resident. “Mrs. Eakin’s phone call to my daughter’s employer, and the implication that her presence at the polls might jeopardize her summer employment was completely inappropriate, and an abuse of power.”
Rhodes’ daughter was a summer intern at Dillon, McCandless, King, Coulter & Graham. The firm employs Breth, Knoch School District’s solicitor.
Eakin denied the accusations.
“Her accusations are unwarranted and inaccurate. This is old news, this was back in May,” Eakin told the Butler Eagle.
Rhodes told the board she had written two letters about the incident before bringing it up at a meeting.
Breth said during the meeting Rhodes’ comments were a “mischaracterization of the events that occurred, a mischaracterization of the actions and intentions” of Eakin.
“I’m not going to talk about this publicly, the details, but I had a personal conversation that evening, and a personal conversation immediately with the young lady the next morning. It was a summer intern for the firm. And I explained the importance of her job responsibilities as an employee of the firm for the summer,” Breth said. “She was nothing but gracious, mature, polite, could not have handled the situation in a better manner. At no time did she point a finger at Donna, or accuse Donna of doing anything inappropriate.”
Breth said he spoke with Eakin the evening the alleged incident happened, and the situation “was handled, it was done with.”
“It’s a shame when the parents and adults disagree, and they use children, a young lady, as a way to further their own political agenda,” Breth said.
