W-b Diamonds Shine In Debut Against Slamm

4 Players Hit Double Figures As Altoona Downs Hazleton

By JENNIFER LEARN; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Sunday, January 11, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1 





HAZLETON- Amidst missing records, finger-pointing and politics, one serious
mistake stands out in the Lou Casari case, two Hazleton Area School Board
members say: Police were not contacted as soon as the school administrator's
alleged theft was discovered. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They said that mistake can be blamed on Hazleton Area School District's
practice of allowing the School Board to decide which reports of theft are
pursued. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Everybody's question is, `Why? Why were police never called?' " said newly
elected Hazleton Area School Board member Betsy Durso. "Every time a student
is in a fight, police are called, but when something of this magnitude
happens, police are not called." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A district inventory in early 1995 showed missing audio-visual equipment.
Later that year, Casari's daughter-in-law told district officials she
suspected Casari- then a district administrator- gave district property to his
family. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But instead of turning to police, the district quietly sought out a private
investigating business, Raico and Henry Investigations. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At the time investigator Pat Raico worked in a realty company with School
Board member Tom Marnell's wife, and investigator Jim Henry has since been
hired as a security worker in the district. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When the private investigation showed signs of possible theft, the district
sealed it with a gag order and gave Casari a special retirement package.
Independent investigators were not called until January 1997, after public
outcry resulting from leaked reports of the internal investigation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last week, a year later, investigators say they found no evidence of
criminal activity, largely because of the delay calling police. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This isn't the first report of alleged theft in the district with no police
intervention. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In June 1997 district janitor Louis Palermo was accused by the district's
security department of stealing brass fixtures from the Hazleton Junior High
School swimming pool. The School Board opted to wait two months until Palermo
qualified for a pension and allowed him to retire. The board did not pursue
theft allegations with Hazleton police. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 District Security Director Vince Zola acknowledged part of the problem is
that the district has no policy on how to handle employee theft. Police are
automatically called when somebody is assaulted or carrying weapons, but the
School Board has always decided whether or not to pursue theft reports. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Zola said he initially checks out reports and then goes to his supervisor,
the district superintendent. The decision is then up to the board. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'd like to see a policy on what happens if an employee is caught
stealing," said Zola. "Does the board have the right to take cases
individually, or should the decision whether to contact police be made by the
administration?" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Durso said police should automatically be called, no matter who is accused
of stealing. "It really isn't the district's responsibility to decide if
there's theft or wrongdoing. It's not the district's position to say whether a
crime was committed." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Vicki Mackin, president of the Concerned Citizens of Schuylkill County
taxpayer group, said she has suspected theft often over the years. About two
decades ago, for instance, she says huge machinery and valuable cherrywood
disappeared from the Career Center. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "When they try to handle reports of theft internally, somebody who is a
friend of somebody tries to cover it up," Mackin said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Zola said the decision to involve Raico &amp; Henry was unusual, but district
administrators and some board members did not want to go to police without
proven suspicions because of the clash between Casari and Superintendent
Geraldine Shepperson, Zola said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "All we were trying to do at the time was to see if there was proof before
we went to police," said Zola, "because there was supposedly bad blood between
Dr. Shepperson and Mr. Casari." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Mackin said the clash between Shepperson and Casari should have made
the district more likely to call state police, an independent investigating
agency. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "They don't have to reveal names to the public when they ask police for an
investigation," said Mackin. "If something turns up, fine. If not, they can't
accuse somebody of covering up or going on a wi

District's Probe Draws Questions 
Authorities Were Not Called About Allegations Of An Administrator Taking 
Equipment Until After Hazleton Area Had Conducted Its Own Study

District's Probe Draws Questions Authorities Were Not Called About Allegations Of An Administrator Taking Equipment Until After Hazleton Area Had Conducted Its Own Study