Fired West Reading Officer Cleared Of Harassment

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Former West Reading Police Officer Ronald E. Ladd has been cleared of a harassment charge stemming from the altercation last August that resulted in his firing.

The ruling, issued Friday by Berks County Judge Timothy J. Rowley, overturned Ladd’s November conviction, which carried a $300 fine and courts costs.

“I’m thankful,” Ladd said Monday of his successful appeal. “Very thankful for the judge to be able to look at this unbiased, and deep in my heart I knew that eventually justice would be served.  And I’m just very thankful.”

Despite the good news in court, Ladd remains without a job a week after West Reading’s Civil Service Commission upheld his November firing from the borough force.

Read more:   http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=494617

Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer Fined For 5 Illegal Hirings

The city Charter Board has fined Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer $1,000 for illegally hiring five assistants not approved by City Council as the charter requires.

Spencer has appealed the fine to Berks County Court, but at the request of attorneys for both sides, President Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl sealed the ruling and the appeal documents.

The city ordinance governing the Charter Board requires its rulings to be kept confidential until the targets exhaust their appeals.

However, a copy of the board’s ruling was obtained by the Reading Eagle.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=432492

Fired Administrators Sue Reading School District For More Than $150,000 In Damages

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A group of administrators suddenly fired in April by the Reading School District has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $150,000 in damages.

The administrators claim the district violated the terms of their employment contracts by not providing 30 days’ notice before terminating the contracts.

After a series of retirements and resignations of several top administrators following the 2010-11 school year, the district found itself in need of a leadership team.  The district turned to a group of retired administrators who had been working with the district through the state’s Distinguished Educator Program.

The district hired several administrators, including acting superintendent J. Drue Miles, on a temporary basis.  They were asked to lead the district for up to a year, or at least until the district was able to permanently fill the slots.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=412251