PITTSBURGH — A grand jury that investigated a teacher sex scandal at Plum High School has recommended no criminal charges against any high school or district administrators, according to a report released Thursday by the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office.
CLICK HERE to read the full grand jury report
Four teachers were arrested last year, three of them accused of having sex with students. District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. convened the grand jury to investigate what school and district officials knew about the teachers and the accusations.
The grand jury report says that while jurors found "systematic failures" in protecting students on the part of administrators, the language of the law and a lack of records kept by the district prevented it from issuing a presentment alleging criminal liability.
Jurors wrote:
Teachers Jason Cooper and Joseph Ruggieri were charged in February 2015 with having sex with female students. Both were also charged with witness intimidation. %INLINE%
Under a plea agreement, Cooper, 39, will spend 18 to 36 months in prison with a five-year probation stint and a lifetime requirement that he register as a sex offender.
Joseph Ruggieri will spend two to five years in prison after pleading guilty. In addition to his prison sentence, he will spend five years on probation and will be a registered sex offender for life.
While Ruggieri plead guilty to having to having sex with a student, beginning in late 2014, the grand jury report showed evidence that suggested it went back much further with some administrators aware of the accusations.
One conversation between Superintendent Dr. Timothy Glasspool and a former school board member in 2012 focused on one of Ruggieri’s victims.
"Glasspool responded by stating that this report would not be the first to prompt him to have a conversation with Ruggieri about inappropriate relationships with a student,” the former board member told the grand jury.
In October 2014, several months before Ruggieri was charged, two teachers testified that they spoke to Glasspool about rumors regarding Ruggieri.
In addition to Cooper and Ruggieri, former substitute teacher Michael Cinefra was charged in September with deviate sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old female student, and a fourth teacher, Drew Zoldak, was charged with witness intimidation. Zoldak was accused of identifying Ruggieri's accuser in class.
Glasspool, who testified before the grand jury, released a statement in response to the report:
The Plum Borough School District Board of Directors also issued a statement following the release of the grand jury report:
Parents who spoke with Channel 11 News Thursday said they’re outraged.
"I do believe the district knew what was going on and just chose conveniently to turn a blind eye,” parent Dan Snyder said.
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