Teacher hire in Pittston defended

YATESVILLE – Pittston Area School District Superintendent Ross Scarantino said he stands by the district’s hiring last week of a teaching applicant who was charged in 2004 with a felony count of burglary that was later dismissed.

Scarantino said he believes the applicant, Kelli M. Diaz, was the most qualified for the position based on her excellent academic record, her performance as a student teacher and her exceptional interview with board members. She also cleared state police and FBI background checks and a child abuse check, and had obtained a teaching certificate.

Diaz, 23, was one of three high school social studies teachers hired at a starting salary of $34,400. A letter sent to The Times Leader late last week by an anonymous writer questioned the hiring, citing the charges that were filed in November 2004 against Diaz and two co-defendants, Michael D. George III and Stacy McDermott. The trio were accused of stealing a jug of coins valued at $800 to $1,000 from a Duryea home.

District Judge Fred Pierantoni dismissed the charges against all three at a hearing on Feb. 2, 2005. At the time, Pierantoni said he made the ruling because neither the victim nor officials offered any testimony and Diaz and George paid back the money. Diaz instead pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a summary citation similar to a traffic ticket.

Scarantino said Diaz did not mention the 2004 charges during the interview, but he stressed she was not required to do so. The district requires applicants pass all required background checks, as Diaz did.

Even if he was made aware of the charges, Scarantino said it would not have altered his position on her hiring.

“I believe she is a good hire. She is one of our graduates. She’s a bright girl with a bright future. We all make mistakes in our life growing up. I don’t believe you should pay the rest of your life because of one mistake,” he said.

School board members Mark Singer and Martin Quinn Sr. also said they were not aware of the charges, but they, too, stand by the hire.

“Allegations are just merely allegations. A person is presumed innocent until the (district attorney’s) office removes that cloak of innocence,” Singer said. “She was not convicted. That’s what we have to base it on.”

Diaz is the daughter of Luzerne County director of budget and finance Sam Diaz. Her hiring was approved by seven school directors, with two – Terry Best and Kent Bratlee -- abstaining.

Contacted Monday, Sam Diaz denounced the person who wrote the anonymous letter. He said he suspects the person is a school board member who wanted to hire a different candidate for the job. He said he also believes the hiring would not be an issue if he did not hold the position he does.

“This wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t me,” he said. “It’s a damn shame when they go out to destroy a person’s life over politics.”

Diaz said he believes his daughter was exceptionally well-qualified for the job, noting she graduated magna cum laude from Wilkes University. He said she also received excellent reviews for the time she spent student teaching in the Wyoming Area School District.