Embattled Castagna testifies he never asked biker club for security

Superintendent says he received threats

West Mifflin Area School District superintendent Daniel Castagna testified at a hearing this week that he never asked members of the Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club to attend a board meeting to intimidate anyone, nor did he pay them to do so.

Mr. Castagna faces a number of accusations — including a 2017 DUI charge in Beaver County — neglect of duties, incompetency and immorality under the Public School Code.

Mr. Castagna’s attorneys, Colleen Ramage Johnston and Nikki Lykos, called him to the stand Tuesday as the defense presented its case for the first time as part of the district’s Act 1080 hearing in which the board is considering the removal of Mr. Castagna.

“Did you cause their attendance?” Ms. Johnston asked Mr. Castagna about the presence of one member of the motorcycle club at an April 27, 2017, board meeting. “No,” he said. Asked whether he paid or asked any member of the district’s administration to pay the men to come to the meeting, he again said no.

Mark Yuhas, a district resident, testified earlier he spoke to a biker at the meeting and was told they were there to provide “security” and were paid $200 each.

Andrew Miller, owner of the company the district contracts with for security, testified earlier that one of his guards stated Mr. Castagna asked the bikers to “wear their colors” at the meeting.

During her cross-examination, Krisha DiMascio, attorney for the district, asked whether Mr. Castagna recalled saying he was fearful of threats being made toward him.

Mr. Castagna said he did receive text message threats from an unnamed person the week before the April 2017 meeting saying things like, “I’ll cut your throat.”

He said he spoke to a police officer about the threats.

Richard White, a member of the Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club also testified Tuesday saying he was never asked by or paid by Mr. Castagna to attend any school board meeting.

Mr. White said he attended two board meetings — one in 2016 and one in 2017— because he was “interested in doing a book bag drive for kids.”

Mr. White said he was “just introduced to the board” by Mr. Castagna at the 2016 meeting. “He told everybody who I was,” and he said he went up to the podium at that time.

Mr. White, who runs the 1313 Bar in Duquesne, said he met Mr. Castagna a few years ago through Philip Woods, the former principal at West Mifflin Area High School.

Mr. Woods is now the principal at Woodland Hills Junior-Senior High School. Mr. Woods said he is not a member of Sin City Desciples nor does he ride a motorcycle.

“He was trying to soften the image of his club,” Mr. Woods testified.

Mr. White said Sin City Deciples has a book bag drive every year, but he said he wanted to do his own on behalf of the 1313 Bar.

Mr. White also attended the April 2017 meeting.

At both meetings he attended, Mr. White said he wore his vest, which features patches and insignia for Sin City Deciples.

“I belong to a motorcycle club, not a gang,” Mr. White said.

Mr. White said he came to the April 2017 meeting with three other people, none of whom was a member of the motorcycle club.

He said one of the three had a nephew who was a student in the district.

“It was again about the book bag drive,” Mr. White said about his attendance at that meeting.

Mr. Woods testified the book bag drive did not happen while he was principal at West Mifflin.

Steven Valsamidis, who is representing Mr. Castagna in his DUI case, also testified Tuesday and said he discussed the number of DUI arrests his client has had with district solicitor Gary Matta beginning in December 2017.

Last week, district assistant superintendent Mark Hoover testified the state Department of Education sent an email to the district seeking information about Mr. Castagna’s second DUI arrest.

The email stated Mr. Castagna had two DUI arrests, but he reported the 2017 arrest as his first offense.

Mr. Valsamidis said he told Mr. Matta that Mr. Castagna was eligible for an accelerated rehabilitative disposition (ARD), which is a pretrial intervention program for nonviolent offenders who have no prior record or a limited record.

Mr. Valsamidis testified Mr. Castagna had a prior ARD within the last 10 years on his record, which would have expunged the first DUI.

He testified that in a December 2017 preliminary hearing, the DUI was filed as a first offense.

Mr. Valsamidis said Mr. Castagna is not currently in the ARD program, but he is eligible for it.

The board voted earlier this year to put Mr. Castagna on paid administrative leave.

In July, the board voted 6-3 to place him on unpaid leave, with Janice Gladden, Judy Andzelik and Judith Ahern voting against the suspension.

Mr. Castagna has filed a federal lawsuit against the district and the six board members who voted to suspend him, saying he had been targeted because he reported wrongdoings by several district employees.

A hearing on the suit is scheduled in October.

The school board’s next hearing dates are: Oct. 9, Oct. 17 and Oct. 22 at West Mifflin Area Middle School.

“I belong to a motorcycle club, not a gang. Richard White, member, Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club