Parents voice concern over altercation

Parents and community members at a West Mifflin Area School Board meeting Jan. 23 voiced concerns over a Dec. 18 altercation involving two police officers and a 15-year-old girl.

The incident captured on cellphone video shows West Mifflin Police Sgt. Christopher Mordaunt and Officer Tommy Trieu in an altercation with the girl.

Two residents spoke on the matter at the meeting, including a former West Mifflin Area School Board member.

“I only became aware of this situation yesterday,” after reading news reports, said former board member Janice Gladden. “It hurts to see the police and one of our students in a violent news story,” she said, adding she was “concerned about the severe emotional and traumatic impact” that all of the students on the bus had.

She called on officers to have “more patience” and recognize the age, weight and size of the individuals they are encountering.

“The kids on the bus shouldn’t be allowed on the bus anymore,” said resident Bill Bennett, who told the board, “It’s not up to you guys to teach kids how to act around police, it’s the parents.”

Representatives from several groups attended the meeting, but they could not speak, as they were not district residents.

Brandi Fisher, of the

Alliance for Police Accountability, said the bottom line is student safety.

“They cannot continue to say police officers are above the law,” she said. “This is why police officers should not interact with youth. She was well within her right to ask him not to touch her body.”

“The police are the ones to serve and protect the community. A grown man has no right to put hands on a young female,” said Will Anderson, of the Black Political Empowerment Project.

V. Fawn Walker-Montgomery, of Take Action Mon Valley, added that the girl is a “budding entrepreneur” and takes honors classes at Steel Center technical school.

Ms. Walker-Montgomery said Take Action Mon Valley wants to see the two officers who were involved in the matter dismissed from their jobs and wants charges filed against them in Allegheny County.

At a Tuesday West Mifflin Borough Council meeting, borough solicitor Phil DiLucente said the officers did not do anything improper and the case is being looked at by outside agencies. He said he could not comment further until the investigation is completed.

The school board did not comment on the matter.