Husband of BOE Head Files Ethics Complaint

The husband of the Board of Education chairman has filed an ethics complaint against the Legislative Council vice chairman, taking issue with two sentences posted on a Facebook page he said implied his wife was a liar.

"I want those lines removed," said Tom Bittman, who sent a formal complaint letter to the Newtown Ethics Commission, alleging misconduct by Legislative Council vice chairman Mary Ann Jacob.

"What Ms. Jacob did was ethically and morally wrong," Bittman wrote in his formal complaint letter dated July 12. "She lied about an elected official on another board, attacking her character through a post on the Internet."

At issue is a Facebook page listed under the auspices of the Newtown Republican Town Committee on which Jacob starts a discussion highlighting the work Republicans did during the budget process. At one point, in the discussion posting, she writes:

"Did you know the Board of Education was asked to share in the reduced revenue losses and the Board of Education Chair told the Board of Finance they would discuss the issue in public? Did you know only the Republican members of the Board of Education voted to discuss the issue?"

Tom Bittman, who said he is a Republican, disputes that section, saying that it implies his wife, Lillian, a Democrat, lied to the finance board and voted against discussing the issue. The education board did discuss the issue several times, Bittman said.

"This statement is not true, it's simply not true," he said. "This statement has been interpreted by several people as my wife lied."

Bittman said when he went to confront Jacob about removing those two sentences, she ignored him, and eventually blocked him from contacting her through her personal Facebook account.

Jacob said the messages Bittman sent her were disturbing.

"Of course I decided to block him," she said.

In one e-mail, Bittman wrote to Jacob, "My wife is asking me to control my anger. She's good at it. I'm not. I want you to know why I'm angry at you. You are spreading lies about my family. That's not politics, that's personal…I'm not angry at your lack of integrity. I'm angry when it hurts my family. "

The dispute between the two now moves to a very public stage in front of the Board of Ethics, which likely will meet next month to investigate the claim. At Jacob's request, the matter will be held in public.

Jacob said that Bittman has frequently lashed out at her in emails privately sent to her and in public, including comments he has posted on Facebook and Newtown Patch. When he filed a formal ethics complaint in the matter, she decided it was time to do something about it, Jacob said.

"I've been silent through all of these attacks through April," she said. "It's time I defend myself."

Jacob said she stands behind the Facebook posting, which was filed in a RTC Facebook discussion forum for which she is one of the administrators.

"Both of the points are substantiated," she said. "They are simple statements of fact."

Additionally, Jacob said the statement does not attack Lillian Bittman's character.

"I believe they are truthful statements," Jacob said. "I don't think what we said calls her a liar."

Jacob points to minutes of the education board's meeting on March 16 where Kathy Fetchick asks the board to vote on a request from the Board of Finance to report back when the education board reaches a consensus on the proposed budget freeze.

After some discussion, including whether students should be denied services in order to cover a state revenue shortfall and whether a vote should be taken to reflect the board's position, "Mrs. Bittman asked if all were in favor of adding a possible vote. The majority were not in favor," according to the minutes.

Bittman counters that the minutes show that the education board did in fact hold discussions.

The dispute has put a strain on the relationship between Bittman and Jacob whose two sons are friends. It also has put a strain on the Bittmans' marriage.

Lillian Bittman said that she did not know her husband had filed an ethics complaint until a few days ago, and that it upset her because she had asked him multiple times to stay out of education board matters.

"But he's a very independent person," she said. "I know why he did it. He feels like it's a lie that will never go away."

Bittman said she agrees with her husband that Jacob's characterization was wrong.

"I felt it was very unfair but I dealt it in my own way," she said. "I turn the other cheek…I'm not as combative."

Tom Bittman said that after getting no satisfaction in getting those two sentences removed from the Facebook page, he believed going to the Ethics Commission was his only option.

"It really was driving me nuts," he said. "I feel like I have to defend my family."

Jacob said that she believes Tom Bittman is the one who is attacking her.

"I'm going to stand up and defend myself vigoriously," she said.