Mt. Lebanon Landlord With History Of Housing Violations Sued By State Attorney General’s Office

A Mt. Lebanon landlord who has been repeatedly fined for failing to have water service to his properties in Carrick and elsewhere – and who was accused of running a garden hose from someone else’s property to get water – is being sued by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

The complaint, filed today in Common Pleas Court, names as defendants Davin Gartley, as well as his companies, Davin Investments Inc. and R.A.E.D. Investments Inc.

According to the complaint, the defendants operate at least 11 properties, including 2531-2539 Brownsville Road in Carrick, which has been the subject of the water problems.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants are violating Pennsylvania’s Consumer Protection Law by failing to maintain habitable properties, failing to provide water service and failing to return tenant security deposits.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/05/12/Mt-Lebanon-landlord-with-history-of-housing-violations-sued-by-state-Attorney-General-s-office/stories/201505120157

Grand Jury Recommends Criminal Charges Against Attorney General Kathleen Kane

The special prosecutor and grand jury investigating allegations that Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane leaked secret information to a newspaper have found evidence of wrongdoing and recommended that she be criminally charged, according to numerous people familiar with the decision.

The panel concluded that Kane violated grand-jury secrecy rules by leaking investigative material in a bid to embarrass political enemies, sources said.

Some of those familiar with the grand jury presentment say it recommended charges that included perjury and contempt of court.

The statewide grand jury sitting in Norristown has turned over its findings to Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, who must decide whether to affirm its findings and arrest Kane, the state’s top law enforcement official.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150109_Grand_jury_recommends_criminal_charges_against_Attorney_General_Kathleen_Kane.html#IiJzqeSMBdfmvy1f.99

2 Coatesville Administrators Placed On Leave Amid District Lawsuit Action

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Caln Township, PA – Two Coatesville Area School District employees were placed on administrative leave last week at the same time the school board filed a lawsuit against two former administrators.

Assistant superintendent Angelo Romaniello and facilities worker Matthew Como, the son of former superintendent Richard Como, were placed on administrative leave effective last week.

Romaniello’s attorney, Robert Donatoni of West Chester, declined comment on the employment status of his client Friday. Attorney Paul Rubino, who’s representing Matt Como, also declined comment.

CASD superintendent Cathy Taschner did not release the names of the employees in the message sent to parents Thursday night. School district officials responded Friday to a right-to-know request submitted by the Daily Local News checking on the employment status of Matt Como and Romaniello.

Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20141122/2-coatesville-administrators-placed-on-leave-amid-district-lawsuit-action

CityVest Gives Sterling Property To Luzerne County

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The nonprofit owner of the former Hotel Sterling property has turned the title over to Luzerne County.

In a letter to the county solicitor sent Thursday, Scranton-based attorney George Reihner said recent action by the county to garnish CityVest of parking fees being generated at the site on West Market Street took him off-guard.

“Given that CityVest offered the Hotel Sterling property to the county more than two years ago and regularly communicated with county officials about the status of the property since the date of acquisition, I was surprised to learn of these sudden legal actions from the media,” Reihner wrote.

In an attempt to “remedy the current impasse,” Reihner wrote that CityVest has decided to sign over the property to the county. The transaction was recorded Thursday.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/cityvest-gives-sterling-property-to-county-1.1739850

Local McDonald’s Owner Subject Of Son’s Harassment, Prostitution-Related Complaints

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The son of a local McDonald’s franchisee has asked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and McDonald’s Corp. to investigate employee harassment charges that he has lodged against his father.

Jason Rippon filed a complaint with the EEOC in August in which he alleges that his father, H. James Rippon, has ordered employees to help solicit prostitutes, regularly sexually harasses workers and makes racist comments to staff.

James Rippon, 72, had a manager at one of his three restaurants send text messages to prostitutes he was soliciting, according to his son’s complaint. James Rippon allegedly had the worker send the texts because he didn’t know how to send messages from his own cellphone.

The elder Rippon, of Hummelstown, owns McDonald’s restaurants in West Hanover Township, Pine Grove and Shamokin Dam.

Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/10/mcdonalds_franchisee.html#incart_m-rpt-2

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

Penn State Child Abuse Scandal Fallout Continues

The fallout at Penn State continues.

In addition to Jerry Sandusky, JoePa, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Mike McQueary and Graham Spanier, you can add Second Mile charity CEO Jack Raykovitz to the growing cast of characters.  Mr. Raykovitz resigned Sunday after 28 years at the helm.  So far all the victims were boys in the Second Mile program.  Second Mile has retained Philadelphia law firm Archer & Greiner as its counsel.

Mike McQueary, on paid administrative leave, is apparently consulting with the Harrisburg law firm of Strokoff and Cowden, who specialize in employment law.  McQueary received death threats and is reportedly in hiding.  

McQueary is being handled differently than the others because he is a witness in the case and he also may fall under Pennsylvania’s whistleblower law.  The law includes protection for the whistleblower against firing, demotion or punishment.  McQueary’s status under this law is still being determined.