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DA urges other potential victims in Plum HS investigation to come forward

PITTSBURGH — As the investigation continues into teachers at Plum Senior High School accused of having sexual relationship with students, District Attorney Stephen Zappala is urging other potential victims to come forward.

Two teachers, Jason Cooper and Joseph Ruggieri, are facing charges for allegedly having sex with students.

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A third teacher, Drew Zoldak, is facing witness intimidation charges, accused of identifying Ruggieri's alleged victim in front of her classmates by pointing at her and telling his students that he was being questions by authorities "because of her." He is also accused of asking the alleged victim if she was OK with the course topic of sexual assault planned for the next week.

During a media briefing Thursday afternoon in Monroeville, Zappala called Zoldak's comment, "callous."

"We think it was actually an attempt to her embarrass her in front of her peers so that she would not proceed to talk to a judge or a jury about how it is that she became a victim of that type of crime,” Zappala  said.

On Wednesday, Mike Manko, spokesman for the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, said the investigation at Plum should be considered “expansive and ongoing.”

Zappala said no other Plum teachers are currently under investigation, but that there could be other victims.

“(Zoldak) said some things that concern us about there being common knowledge that certain students were being taken advantage of by certain teachers," he said.

Zappala also advised that all school districts should adopt a no-contact student social media policy for all teachers.

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