Nov 21, 2007 - Chad N. Stover, 30, principal at Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School, is accused of having inappropriate communications with a female student between 2004 and 2006 while he was employed as an English teacher at Cranberry High School. He waived a preliminary hearing.
The girl was 16 at the time.
According to a criminal complaint prepared by state police in Franklin, Stover developed a relationship with the girl and the two would communicate via telephone, computers and cell phone text messaging.Stover was placed on unpaid leave in September.
During these communications, Stover would allegedly ask the girl to perform a number of sexual acts such as pose naked in front of her bedroom window while he drove by the house. He would also tell her he wanted to have sex with her and would describe sex acts to her, police said.
Police said they interviewed other female students who said Stover spoke with them via telephone and/or computer for long periods of time during the night or early morning hours while they were students at Cranberry High School, police said. The conversations the other female students reported having with Stover supported the victim’s statement, police said.
We found an August story about parents who were outraged when they heard about the investigation. They demanded, but did not get, any answers from the school board.
GUILTY PLEA April 1, 2008 - Stover pleaded guilty Monday. Under a plea agreement, Stover will be sentenced to probation and cannot coach, teach or volunteer with minors.
Police say Stover communicated by phone, computer and cell phone text message with the girl. Among other things, he asked her to pose naked in front of her bedroom window while he drove past her house. Stover was appointed high school principal in October 2006. He is currently unemployed.
From The Derrick: (Apr 1) Stover was previously employed as an English teacher in the Cranberry Area School District.
Under the plea agreement, the prosecution agreed to a probationary sentence with the understanding that Stover will never coach, teach, be involved in educational administration or have contact, including participating in volunteer work, with people under the age of 18.He will be sentenced May 22.
SENTENCED (Sorta) May 28 - Stover was sentenced Thursday to serve five years probation on a corruption of minors charge for sending inappropriate messages to a student while he was employed as a softball coach in another school district. At the sentencing, District Judge Robert Boyer ordered Stover to surrender his teaching and administrator licenses and to pay $1,325.50 in fines, costs and restitution.
TT - There's an inherent conflict of interest when the prosecution knows it can cost the state - despite a guilty plea - $200,000 to $400,000 to revoke an educator's license. It is troubling that there is a possibility that the desire to remove the educator is more important than justice for the victim or the unfairness to someone else who doesn't have such a bargaining tool during plea negotiations. Licenses should be automatically revoked for educators guilty of any sex crime. That they aren't is why it is necessary to bargain with the bastards.
