Cards distributed for a GOP school board candidate falsely suggested he was endorsed by Dems, parent group says

A parent group supporting Democratic school board candidates in the West Chester Area School District says cards were handed out Tuesday falsely implying a Republican candidate had the group’s endorsement.

The cards, which Democrats say were handed out at multiple polling places, have Alain Oliver’s name on the front and the phrase “Democrats working together for public schools” on the back. The phrase, color and handshake logo are similar to that used by Together for Public Schools, a parent group in the district that has endorsed the Democrats in the race.

”I was kind of shocked. We all kind of said, ‘This is like cartoon villain material,’” said Laura Patarcity, a parent who was involved in designing Together for Public Schools’ logo. “It’s clearly deceptive, if not outright fraudulent.”

The cards say they were paid for by Back to Basics WC, the PAC supporting Oliver and the other Republican candidates.

“The business cards in question were specifically requested by a volunteer who is a registered Democrat,” said Beth Ann Rosica, Back to Basics WC co-chair. “We purchased the cards for him to use at polling locations near his home. The candidate, Alain Oliver, was not handing out the cards. The purchase and distribution of the cards is compliant with all campaign finance rules.”

Oliver is executive director of the Love and Fidelity Network, an organization that promotes “pro-family and pro-life education and activities on college campuses.”

Patarcity said she called the Pennsylvania Department of State but was told it was a local issue. She left a message with the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

Together for Public Schools has 1,700 followers on Facebook, while Back to Basics WC has 300. In mimicking the Together group’s logo, Oliver may have been trying to convey broader support, Patarcity said.

Patarcity — who said she learned of the cards Tuesday from Oliver’s Democratic rival, Gary Bevilacqua — said she approached Oliver at the polls. “I initially said, ‘Isn’t there another card you have?’” She said he “started to reach” for something, then stopped and said he didn’t have another card.

Disputes about schools’ handling of diversity, equity and inclusion and LGBTQ issues have fueled heated school board campaigns in a number of area communities. Moms for Liberty, the controversial “parental rights” group, has endorsed numerous candidates in Chester County, though not in West Chester.

The West Chester Back to Basics slate says it’s focused on addressing “academic decline” and bringing increased transparency to the district. But Together for Public Schools has accused the Republican candidates of masking more “extremist” positions through such promises as “no politics in classrooms” — a phrase the parent group called a “dog whistle” that “leaves LGBTQ+ kids and students of color feeling less safe.”