Charter school teacher hit with multiple corruption charges for leading Allentown student walkout
ALLENTOWN — The charter school teacher who encouraged hundreds of students to walk out of Allentown School District schools, claiming the district is failing minority students, has been charged with corrupting youth.
Michael Frassetto is facing at least 38 charges of corruption of minors for a student walkout that occurred Sept. 28. The charges are summary offenses, similar to criminal mischief. People accused receive citations in the mail, and those found guilty at a summary trial before a district judge typically face fines.
"Encouraging Allentown School District students to commit truancy by walking out of school during normal school hours is an unlawful disruption of the students' educational process," the district said in a statement released Friday.
"While the Allentown School District supports freedom of expression, the district cannot condone actions in violation of the law," it said. "Therefore, the district's high school and middle school administrators have taken legal action to hold the organizer, Michael Frassetto, responsible for his actions."
The district would not comment further. Frassetto, 29, did not return messages for comment.
The charges were filed in the last 10 days at various district courts in Allentown. Principals from seven Allentown schools where students left, including Allen High Principal Luke Shafnisky and Trexler Middle School Principal Christine Piripavel, gave sworn statements, according to district solicitor John Freund. He would not comment further.
Frassetto is no longer teaching at the Medical Academy Charter School, the Catasauqua school's CEO, Jose Rosado, said Friday, although he is still employed.
Rosado said the charter school's board of trustees will discuss Frassetto's employment at a meeting Tuesday. Rosado would not say how long Frassetto has been out of a classroom or why he is no longer teaching.
Frassetto, a Parkland High School graduate, believes the district doesn't care about its minority students.
He raised the ire of school officials as well as Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin for leading a series of protests and media campaigns involving students who live in Allentown and either attend Allentown schools or public charter schools.
Frassetto and the students have called for Allentown Superintendent Russ Mayo's resignation, a summer employment program and a representative on the school board who is not elected but is chosen by the students
On Sept. 24, Frassetto and a group of students went to an Allentown School Board meeting, where they banged on glass and doors after being denied access. The district claimed the meeting room would have been too crowded to meet fire codes.
On Sept. 28, he led hundreds of students on a walkout to Allentown's statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King for what was to be a day of protest that
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/Charter_school_teacher_hit_with_multiple_corruption_charges_for_leading_Allentown_student_walkout.html#ilJcDqwSzAZgGwM6.99
