Candidate Bilak's Blog Angers Family of BHHS Student

School board candidate has once again upset the family of the student to whom she sent a controversial email last week.

In the email to BHHS senior Max Schwartz, Bilak said she would that a candidate debate he had planned was scheduled on a Friday evening when some Jewish residents celebrate the Sabbath. She lost several after the incident.

An El Rodeo parent, Bilak is one of four contenders for three seats on the Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education. Board Vice President , educator and Beverly Vista parent are also competing in the Nov. 8 race.

In a blog posted on her campaign website, Bilak described her day at the Beverly Hills Education Foundation’s on Oct. 23.

“ … I saw and spent time with so many people; the Ebrahimians, Stefan Pollock, Brian Rosenstein, Les Bronte, Jennifer Terrel [sic] Schwartz, her son Max and his dad Mitchell, Allyce Balson, Sharon Dohm, John Mirrisch [sic] and oh so many others,” Bilak wrote.

Terrell Schwartz, who spells her name differently from what the post reads, said she had not given Bilak permission to mention her or her family on the candidate’s website. “In response to the many calls and emails that we’ve had following Frances’ post on her blog, I would like to set the record straight,” Terrell Schwartz said in a statement to Patch.

“Frances approached us at the Apple Harvest Faire and repeatedly asked to take a picture with us. Considering everything that had happened, I considered this to be in the worst possible taste. But wishing to model a behavior of forgiveness for our children, [my husband] Mitch and I briefly engaged her in conversation and quickly moved on,” Schwartz wrote. “This has been a difficult experience for our family and friends, and one that we are eager to put behind us.”

Bilak told Patch that her blog merely reflected her day spent at the fair.

“As a mother and candidate for Beverly Hills school board, I have had the opportunity to interact with so many people [and] that has allowed me to expand my appreciation for and understanding of our community,” Bilak said. “Through my blog, I am able to share my reflections on my experiences in this endeavor.” 

Former Mayor Les Bronte, who is also mentioned in the Oct. 23 blog post, is the latest person to withdraw his endorsement of Bilak, Patch has learned. He has asked her to remove any mention of him in her literature, blogs and materials.

As of the time of publication, Bilak’s post describing her day at the fair is still on her website.

In her statement to Patch, Bilak did not answer a separate question about why her blog describes campaigning on a Saturday, which is part of the Sabbath that many Jewish families celebrate.

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