Suspended teacher found not guilty of intimidating student
PITTSBURGH – A suspended Western Pennsylvania teacher has been found not guilty of intimidating a female student who accused another teacher of having sex with her, allegedly by pointing out the girl in class last year.
The Allegheny County jury deliberated for less than an hour before acquitting Drew Zoldak, 41, of a single witness intimidation count.
Zoldak, a forensics teacher at Plum High School, was arrested last year as police and, eventually, a grand jury investigated alleged sexual misconduct involving three other male teachers and three female students.
Zoldak’s accuser – who also told police she had a sexual relationship with Joseph Ruggieri, 39, the teachers’ union vice president – testified she felt intimidated when Zoldak pointed her out in class in April 2015.
She testified Zoldak was explaining to his class he missed their previous session because he had to meet with detectives – whom he called “men in suits” – and gestured toward her by moving his head and saying, “Because of her.”
Several students called by the defense testified they felt Zoldak’s comments were innocuous, though others said they viewed them the way his accuser did.
Defense attorney Alexander Lindsay Jr. argued to the jury Monday that, even if the incident occurred the way prosecutors described it, they hadn’t proved Zoldak was trying to intimidate the girl into not cooperating with the Ruggieri investigation. Ruggieri has since pleaded guilty and is serving two to five years in prison.
“This isn’t the crime of making someone feel bad,” Lindsay told the jury in his closing argument. “This isn’t the crime of embarrassing someone. This crime is designed to keep people from trying to interfere with the system of justice.”
Deputy District Attorney Brian Catanzarite had argued Zoldak referred to the detectives as men in suits – even though he was questioned by two female detectives – to make the experience sound daunting and to discourage Ruggieri’s accuser.
“Her world was upside-down and he calls her out in class,” Catanzarite told the jury, adding that his remarks “broke” the girl. She testified she left school later that afternoon, never to return, skipping her senior prom and graduation ceremony.
It wasn’t immediately clear what effect the acquittal may have on Zoldak’s job status.
Lindsay didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment, and Plum school district officials couldn’t immediately be reached Monday.
Another teacher, Jason Cooper, 39, also has pleaded guilty to having sex with a different female student and is serving 18 months to three years in prison. Former substitute teacher and athletic coach Michael Cinefra is awaiting trial on charges he had sex with yet another student. He has pleaded not guilty.