2nd Plum Teacher Accused Of Inappropriate Relationship With Student Charged
PLUM BOROUGH (KDKA) -- Officials with the Plum Borough School District say police have now charged a second teacher accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
In a letter released Tuesday, the school district said they cannot discuss either of the investigations at this time, but say they are unrelated.
Last week, 38-year-old Jason Cooper, a chemistry teacher at the high school, was charged in connection with his alleged relationship with an 18-year-old female student.
He's facing charges of institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and furnishing alcohol to minors.
It was then that Plum Senior High School officials and police said they were investigating a second possible case involving a teacher and a female student.
Court paperwork shows Joseph Ruggieri was arrested and charged Tuesday with institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and sexual contact with a student. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 25.
Ruggieri is the vice president of the Plum teachers' union.
Both teachers have been removed from the school.
In the letter released Tuesday, Plum Borough School District said in part:
"As you can imagine, this has been a difficult time for our students and staff. We are disheartened. We ask that as the courts determine the outcome of each case, all individuals within and outside the school system limit rumors and the spread of misinformation."
The district says they are "not investigating any other inappropriate student-teacher relationships."
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