Woodland Hills Alternative School Employee Accused Of Assaulting 13-Year-Old Boy

WOODLAND HILLS (KDKA) -- The Woodland Hills School District is facing more troubles.

Tuesday morning, an employee at the district's alternative school turned himself in to police for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old student.

"That's unacceptable behavior under any circumstance. We are saddened and extremely disappointed."

Alan Johnson, the superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, has voiced those sentiments often during recent months.

Most recently, a behavioral specialist, 50-year-old Joseph Golden III -- a person hired to keep the calm at the school -- has been charged with simple assault and endangering the welfare of children.

Golden allegedly lifted the 13-year-old boy by his neck and carried him down the hallway at Woodland Hills Promise.

"We were able to obtain with interviews and video a very clear account of what occurred," Allegheny County Police Supt. Coleman McDonough said.

Police say the incident happened April 12 after Golden and the boy exchanged words in the hallway.

Superintendent Johnson says the district was aware of the incident that day.

"It was reported that the information was received from a tip from childline and that is not the case," Johnson said. "We reported it to Rankin Police immediately, literally within minutes of the event. We suspended the employee the same day, and we are taking actions now to move ahead with termination."

Woodland Hills recently made national news following several incidents dating back to December involving former school police officer Steve Shaulis and high school principal Kevin Murray. Both incidents involved confrontations with students resulting in injuries to them and portions of it captured on video.

In the meantime, Golden, who has worked in the district for about eight years, was arraigned and released without bond.

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