EXCLUSIVE: Pennsbury Board Members Speak Out After DeBlasio’s Resignation

It’s the question some members of the public have been asking since last week: did Pennsbury School Board member Debbie DeBlasio resign because of mounting internal or external pressure?

If you speak with board members Jacqui Redner and John Palmer, they say DeBlasio’s resignation came not in response to public pressure but after discussions about what was “best for the district.”

DeBlasio resigned last week from her position on the school board and the Township of Falls Authority after the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced an investigation found she listed Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as her primary residence.

Some wondered when board members knew DeBlasio was spending time down south and why she wouldn’t resign.

Redner, who acted as a spokesperson for herself and Palmer, said they both believed and still do that DeBlasio’s primary residence is on Olds Boulevard in Falls Township. They’re not alone – DeBlasio has said numerous times she considers Falls her primary address and was only “test driving” a life down south. In the wake of claims, DeBlasio freely admitted was down south during some of the numerous Pennsbury meetings she phoned in to.

“[We] talked to her and it was mutually agreed it was best for the district for her to [resign],” Redner said. “It was in the works prior to when that petition was even started. She knew it was the right thing to do.”

DeBlasio via phone this week confirmed the comments made by Redner and Palmer.

“It became about the seat, and not the education and the district,” she said of the factors that led to her resignation. “The petition from Annette Dearolf had nothing to do with it.”

Annette Dearolf, former Pennsbury Board Member Simon Campbell and taxpayer Robert Abrams spoke publicly about DeBlasio’s place of residence and questioned why she would remain on the board. In the world of social media, many residents also spoke up and voiced their opinion.

“Seeing a lot of the nasty and tasteless things people were saying about her was disheartening to see,” Redner said.

After news of the district attorney’s investigation came to light in December, some accused the board of being silent. At one meeting, their solicitor advised the board would not speak of the issue.

“We were accused of being silent, and the whole time we were working this all out. That’s what makes us the most upset,” Redner said.

DeBlasio said she understands why members of the public questioned her following the district attorney’s investigation.

“I felt I was doing a good of job as anyone,” she said, adding that she feels much of the pressure from the public was based on politics.

“Nobody’s opinion on what was best was better than my own.”

Related:

• DeBlasio To Be Replaced On Township Of Falls Authority
• Pennsbury School Board Member DeBlasio Resigns Following Controversy
• DeBlasio Shows Up In Person At Pennsbury Meeting
• Investigation Into Whether Pennsbury School Board Member Is Living In Myrtle Beach Ends