The attorney for the former Plum High School resource officer isn’t able to see school district documentation that proves his client was aware of a 2011 investigation into alleged sexual impropriety between a student and teacher because the documents are now with the district attorney.
That was the message Thursday from Plum superintendent Timothy Glasspool, a day after district solicitor Lee Price told reporters that there was a single complaint against high school English teacher Joseph Ruggieri before his arrest in February on an institutional sexual assault charge and it was investigated by school officials with the full knowledge of resource officer Mark Kost and found to be baseless.
The documents were the subject of a district attorney’s search warrant last month that demanded all physical and/or digital records reflecting notes, reports, recommendations and/or notifications between Officer Kost and the school “concerning allegations of inappropriate and/or sexual relationships between students and faculty/staff” of the district.
The warrant asked for the documents in all forms, including electronic, paper, microfilm and videotape. Mr. Glasspool said he could not detail the documents because an Allegheny County grand jury is hearing evidence in the case.
But attorney Phil DiLucente said his client denies ever being involved in any investigations of sexual relationships between teachers and students until this year when Mr. Ruggieri and fellow teacher Jason Cooper were arrested within days of each other in February, each charged with having a sexual relationship with different female students. A third teacher, Drew Zoldak, was charged in April with intimidating the witness in the case against Mr. Ruggieri.
“I challenge the school district to present to me any piece of paper documentation, email or otherwise, that suggests that Officer Mark Kost knew of these allegations or any sexual misconduct and I’ll tell you they will not be able to find it,” Mr. DiLucente said.
Mr. DiLucente said his client “was shocked and utterly disgusted” Wednesday night when Mr. Price said Mr. Kost signed off on a 2011 investigation into alleged sexual improprieties between Mr. Ruggieri and a student.
Mr. Price said that the school resource officer at the high school was “specifically aware” of the investigation, which included interviewing the girl, her parents and the teacher, and that he concluded there was no further action necessary.
Officer Kost had been the high school’s resource officer from 2002 until he retired Wednesday after 25 years as a Plum police officer. After the teacher arrests in February, he was reassigned to the junior high school — a move that Plum police Chief Jeffrey Armstrong said was requested by the district attorney’s office.
Mr. Price’s comments about a single incident being reported against Mr. Ruggieri contradicted statements made earlier this week by former school director Joseph Tommarello, who said that he reported allegations against Mr. Ruggieri in the fall of 2012 and 2014 and that former ROTC instructor Scott Kolar sent the board an email in February saying he had warned district officials two years ago about inappropriate behavior involving Mr. Ruggieri.
Mr. Price said that Mr. Tommarello’s 2012 report was the same one that was investigated and found to be baseless in 2011 and that Mr. Glasspool did not remember or have any documentation of a report by Mr. Tommarello in the fall of 2014. He also said the report by Mr. Kolar may also refer to the 2011 incident.
Mr. Tommarello, who resigned Friday over frustration with how the sex scandal has been handled, has said he stands by his original statements.
Mary Niederberger: mniederberger@post-gazette.com; 412-263-1590. Jon Silver contributed.
First Published: June 11, 2015, 4:54 p.m.
Updated: June 12, 2015, 3:00 a.m.