McKeesport Area school board meets after superintendent resigns amid security guard sex scandal

MCKEESPORT, Pa. — Parents in the McKeesport Area School District want to get back to focusing on their kids’ education as the district grapples with multiple serious issues, including the resignation of Superintendent Tia Wanzo, who was placed on leave after a school security guard got pregnant after allegedly sleeping with a 17-year-old student.

>> Security guard at local school accused of having relationship with student resulting in a child

“The kids in this district are all that matter and we have to figure out a way to give them an opportunity to have a really education environment where they actually get to come in and learn instead of dealing with nonsense,” parent Josh Lefkowitz said.

Multiple parents at Thursday’s school board meeting defended Wanzo, even though investigative documents obtained by Channel 11 show Wanzo, who is a mandated reporter, never filed a childline report about the alleged sexual relationship.

>> Internal investigation shows McKeesport educators ‘frightening failure’ to report child abuse

“She stepped up. She took a leadership role. She started working for the district, a place that she loves. She poured her soul out,” one woman told the board.

She, and other parents and community members, took issue with the board’s handling of the matter.

“If you want us to believe that you are moving forward with what needs to happen to Dr. Wanzo, in a decent manner, then you should be acting in a decent manner and it all looked very suspect and crooked,” the woman said.

Investigative documents show a teacher who found out about the alleged sexual relationship between the security guard and student told Wanzo and the principal and neither reported it.

That teacher reported it five days later.

District Solicitor Gary Matta says five staff members have had disciplinary hearings over the past month, but he would not specify who.

“There were, I want to make sure I count them, five additional ones [hearings] that have taken place over the next month and we will be addressing those issues at the next meeting,” Matta said. “We had four administrators and one professional staff.”

The school board meets again next Thursday and is expected to reveal the results of those disciplinary hearings.

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