Plum board discusses hiring criminal lawyer for teacher sex scandal

The Plum School Board on Monday discussed hiring a firm specializing in criminal law to guide it through the trials of three teachers charged with having sex with students and an Allegheny County grand jury investigation into what, if anything, school officials knew about the matter.

“We don't know what is coming,” board member Michelle Stepnick said. “I would rather be overly prepared.”

The board met for the first time with newly elected members Sue Caldwell, Vicky Roessler, Jim Rogers and Steve Schlauch taking office.

The board reappointed the law firm of Andrews & Price as district solicitor, but solicitor Lee Price said his firm does not handle criminal law.

“You guys are in a different cycle right now,” Price said.

Teachers Jason Cooper, Joseph Ruggieri and Michael Cinefra are charged with institutional sexual assault and other counts for allegedly having sex with three different female students. Cooper and Ruggieri are charged with witness intimidation.

Police charged a fourth teacher, Drew Zoldak, with witness intimidation, saying he singled out Ruggieri's alleged victim in class. Cooper, Ruggieri, Zoldak and Cinefra are scheduled to go to trial next year.

The scandal is one of three highly charged issues facing the board. The others are the Regency Park Elementary School project and how to close a $2 million deficit for 2016.

The board, with a 7-2 Republican majority, scheduled a special meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Oblock Junior High School auditorium to reverse two measures that have enabled construction of a school to proceed.

Regency Park Elementary parents are resisting attempts to pull back on a new school.

“We have been told for 10 years we are getting a new school. That is what we want,” parent Debbie Bell said Monday afternoon.

The new board members during the fall election campaign vowed to nix plans for a new Regency Park, saying the district cannot afford to build a school for 200 students.

Karen Zapf is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at kzapf@tribweb.com.