Allegations involving McKeesport band booster volunteer under investigation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — As McKeesport Area School District remains under the microscope for two investigations involving district employees, new allegations are now under investigation involving a band booster volunteer.
Gary Matta, the school district's solicitor, confirms to KDKA-TV that allegations have been made against a volunteer in the booster organization for the McKeesport marching band. Matta said McKeesport police are investigating.
"The school is not in control of those funds," Matta said. "The booster club is in charge."
The volunteer has not been named as no charges have been filed against them.
The investigation comes less than 24 hours after three district employees were placed on unpaid leave by the school board on Thursday night.
Former Superintendent Tia Wanzo resigned on the first day of the school year, eight months after a district security guard was charged for having a relationship with a 16-year-old student, authorities said.
A special counsel report obtained by KDKA-TV cited Wanzo and four other district employees for failing to report the alleged sexual relationship in a timely manner.
During the school board meeting Thursday night, board members approved three resolutions to put three of those employees on unpaid leave. Matta said they will now go through a process where they can take legal action to try to get their jobs back or reach a settlement.
Matta said the other employee was fully reinstated on Friday.
The findings from those employees' disciplinary hearings have not been released yet.
"It's honestly crazy," said MaKayla Raymer, a student who graduated from McKeesport High School last year.
Meanwhile, the district's chief of police, Brenda Sawyer, was in court on Friday morning for charges filed against her alleging she stole tens of thousands of dollars from the Bureau of Narcotics and NAACP's McKeesport branch.
Sawyer's hearing was continued until Nov. 21.
"This is going to be a very, very long hearing as there are many charges involving not only the attorney general's office but also the NAACP, ok?" said Phil DiLucente, Sawyer's attorney. "I can't speak directly to the allegations, but I can tell you that for 29 years, she was employed by the attorney general's office. She had a very powerful position called regional director. She took that job very, very seriously, and I think at a later date and time, I'll have a lot, lot more to say."
DiLucente said it is expected to be a very long and complex case.
"It's a heavy documentary type of case. And so that, in part, is one of the reasons we have to have a very thorough hearing so that my client's rights have those protected," DiLucente said.
"It's honestly crazy," Raymer said. "It's just crazy that now it's all coming out, and finally there's some repercussions for these people's actions."
Now, many parents within the district have been questioning what's really been happening within the McKeesport Area School District.
"It makes you wonder if you should really send your kids to school because now is your kid even safe going in there? The school really just needs shut down. The kids need to go to a whole different school district. Either that or get new people in there," a McKeesport resident who has a niece and nephew in the district said.
KDKA-TV reached out to the school board for comment on the latest allegations against a band booster volunteer but did not hear back on Friday.
The McKeesport marching band had no comment on Friday.