A Doylestown teen featured in the PBS docuseries "Bucks County, USA" confronted the film's director on live radio, telling him he had hurt her three times.

Vanessa Martino spoke up near the end of a 50-minute appearance on WHYY's Studio 2 program, looking directly into the camera and addressing director Robert May. The broadcast followed a local premiere screening that May said went "off the rails."

"This is the third time this happened. This is the third time you hurt me," Vanessa said on the broadcast, according to the Bucks County Herald. "This is the third time, having my dad being yelled at and just taking it. Please explain why this happened a third time."

The five-part series, directed by May and filmmaker Barry Levinson, follows two Central Bucks School District students through four years of political division over COVID shutdowns, school board control and political battles over curriculum. Vanessa and her friend Evi, who were 14 and attending Lenape Middle School when filming began, hold opposing political views through their families.

Vanessa's father, Paul Martino, is a venture capitalist who funded Back to School PA, a political committee that backed candidates who promised to reopen schools. Sixty percent of those candidates won, including Republicans who flipped the Central Bucks School Board from Democratic to Republican control, Broad and Liberty reported.

Screening moved after bomb-sweep request

The local premiere was originally a sold-out event at Bucks County Community College (BCCC) in Newtown Township. BCCC President Patrick M. Jones canceled it after a private security firm requested a K-9 bomb-detection sweep of the venue and armed officers, according to the Bucks County Herald. The firm said it was protecting two speakers who receive death threats.

Jones told the Herald the college could not provide that level of security. He called the cancellation "truly heartbreaking" and said the decision had nothing to do with the content of the film or anyone's beliefs.

Two other venues also declined after learning of the security concerns. The filmmakers relocated the screening to the Hiway Theater in Jenkintown on the same date.

Q&A devolves into conflict

Former PBS NewsHour host Judy Woodruff moderated a post-screening panel. May told the Herald the discussion devolved, with audience members revisiting the political divisions the documentary depicts. In the rush to relocate, he said, organizers failed to set ground rules.

Audience members directed criticism at Paul Martino during the Q&A, Broad and Liberty reported.

The next day, May, Levinson, Evi and Vanessa appeared on WHYY's Studio 2 with host Cherri Gregg. Vanessa had been quiet through most of the program before her confrontation with May. The two prior incidents she referenced occurred after the film's showings at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, according to Broad and Liberty.

Gregg suggested Vanessa and May continue the conversation "offline." Vanessa kept going, saying the premiere amounted to "Kumbaya, when people have been hurt."

She said her friendship with Evi was not the issue. "I love Vanessa," Evi responded on air.

Director acknowledges harm

In a Sept. 23 interview with the Herald, May acknowledged some viewers had been retraumatized by the screening and discussion. He called the timing premature and said the filmmakers may have been naïve about the community's readiness.

May said he plans to reach out to all the panelists. Paul Martino and Vanessa told the Herald they were unable to respond to written questions before the newspaper's deadline. Evi and her mother, Lela, were unavailable to comment due to Yom Kippur.

Two teachers featured in the documentary are offering to facilitate community conversations for residents with differing views, WHYY reported. The series began airing nationally on PBS and locally on WHYY on Monday, Sept. 21.