A Black clergywoman in Harrisburg is at the center of a developing controversy involving her and a former top-level official with the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare who allegedly blasted her verbally over a parking space.

According to Democratic state Rep. Ron Waters, who is also chairman and president of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, Rev. Norma Kenley-Barber, 66, parked her car in a space used by Philip Abromats outside the Capitol complex on July 20.

Waters said that Rev. Barber, who takes a diuretic for a heart condition, rushed in to use the restroom. When she returned she was dismayed to find that Abromats had blocked her vehicle with his state car and had also gone inside the building to call the police. When he returned she said that he verbally assaulted her and called her an “idiot.”

According to Waters, Abromats, an attorney who was the deputy secretary of income maintenance with the state Department of Public Welfare before the ill-fated encounter, wasn’t fired — instead, he was transferred to a different position with the same $125,000- plus yearly salary.

“He didn’t use the ‘N’ word, he didn’t use any racial slurs — but still, this is a white man who verbally attacked a Black female pastor who suffers from a disability. Any way you want to look at it, this is unacceptable,” Waters said. “This is inappropriate and unprofessional behavior and over what, a parking space? I’m personally outraged by this, as are other members of the Legislative Black Caucus. This kind of discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated. Was Abromats fired? No, being transferred to a different job is not being terminated — and he is still being paid over $125,000 a year, so he hasn’t really lost anything.”

In a letter sent to Gary D. Alexander, secretary of the Department of Welfare, and dated August 23, Waters inquired into the specific manner in which this incident was dealt with. Those answers, Waters said, are still forthcoming.

“As an employee of the state, one would expect a certain level of decorum to be displayed when interacting with the public,” Waters said in the letter. “It is my understanding that Mr. Abromats has been reassigned to a new position created for him as executive director of program audits and regulatory review. I am curious to know what, if any, disciplinary policy does the department have in place for employees who perform unprofessionally. What action was taken in the case of Mr. Abromats?”

According to Waters, he did meet on Wednesday, September 7, with Karen Deklinski, deputy secretary of administration at the Dept. of Public Welfare, who, despite being unable to go into the specifics of what action was to be taken with Abromats because of privacy protocols, assured him of Gary Alexander’s outrage over the incident.

“Based on what she said, because of the human resources department rules she couldn’t speak about what specific measures were going to be taken or if this would lead to termination,” Waters said. “But the parking space wasn’t his, [and] he hasn’t lost any money, so he really hasn’t been punished. I think stronger measures need to be taken regarding this.”

Alexander was unavailable for comment since the Capitol building was closed at Tribune press time due to flooding and other issues resulting from the recent heavy rains.