Bethel Park District Judge Arnoni accused of meddling

A Bethel Park School Board member on Monday accused District Judge Ron Arnoni of unethical behavior during his primary campaign to keep his job, according to a complaint to the state Judicial Conduct Board.

The complaint says Arnoni asked Bethel Park's superintendent to raise the pay of school police officer Jim Modrak as part of an effort to persuade Modrak not to run in the primary election.

Arnoni, a Bethel Park Republican, dismissed the allegations, saying they're politically motivated and unfounded. Former Gov. Tom Corbett appointed Arnoni, then an investigator in the state Attorney General's Office, in April 2014 to fill the seat left vacant when Judge Rob Wyda died in August 2013.

“You can see this is just a witch hunt” by Modrak of Bethel Park and his supporters, Arnoni said. “I can tell you matter-of-factly, everything I've done in this campaign and on the bench has been with the highest integrity and professionalism.”

Arnoni, 49; Democrat Modrak, 53; and Republican Molly McGuire Gaussa, 40, an attorney from Upper St. Clair, are running for the Bethel Park Magisterial District Judge seat. The primary election is May 19. The three candidates are cross-filed as Republicans and Democrats.

Jim Means, the school board member who filed the complaint and husband of Republican Allegheny County Councilwoman Sue Means, wrote that he is terrified that Arnoni will win and those who didn't support him will suffer in his courtroom.

“He approached the superintendent trying to allocate money to try to buy off his opponent,” Means said.

On Friday, a constable who works in Arnoni's courtroom dropped off letters at Bethel Park schools from the judge to teachers thanking them during Teacher Appreciation Week. The letters were on Arnoni's election letterhead, prompting Superintendent Nancy Rose to decline to distribute the letters because that would violate a school policy banning political activity on campus, Modrak said.

Rose could not be reached for comment. Arnoni said he left it up to the district to decide whether to distribute the letters.

Means said he mailed the complaint Monday. It does not specify what rules he suspects Arnoni violated.

The Judicial Conduct Board, a 12-member panel that investigates allegations against judges, does not comment on complaints. Once the board receives a complaint, it will conduct a preliminary investigation to determine whether to dismiss it or proceed to a full investigation. If the board investigates and finds evidence of misconduct, it could file charges against the judge with the Court of Judicial Discipline.

Arnoni is a former mayor of Brentwood. Modrak is a 25-year veteran of the Bethel Park Police Department who retired three years ago and took a job with the school district.

The two went to a Pirates baseball game in August. During the game, they talked about the upcoming race for the district judge seat.

Modrak said Arnoni asked him what it would take to keep him out of the race and mentioned a possible job as a deputy police chief in Bethel Park or a promotion at the school district to head of security and a raise. Modrak makes about $55,000 a year plus overtime as a school police officer. District judges make about $88,000 a year.

“It was stepping out of his bounds,” Modrak said of the conversation.

Arnoni said Modrak was the one asking about other jobs or a promotion in the school district. Arnoni said he asked whether there was a way to help. Modrak denies that he was asking about jobs.

Modrak said that Arnoni went to Rose four months after the baseball game to ask her for a promotion and raise. Arnoni said he met with Rose, asked about Modrak's title and whether he could be promoted. Arnoni said he did not ask her to do it.

Arnoni said he told Rose that if Modrak runs for judge, he should take a leave of absence from the school district because of a potential conflict of interest. Modrak said his boss permitted him to continue working while he campaigned.

State law prohibits municipal police officers from running for district office but not officers employed by a school district, Modrak said.

Aaron Aupperlee is a staff writer for Trib Total Media.