Judge bans man from Pottstown school grounds after assault

A Pottstown man who threatened and assaulted a juvenile outside Pottstown Senior High School is banned from the grounds of the high school, according to a judge’s sentencing order.

Lawrence James Hill, 52, of the 400 block of King Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 6-to-23-months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of simple assault and terroristic threats in connection with his interaction with a teenage boy outside the high school in the 700 block of North Washington Street on Aug. 16, 2018.

Judge Todd D. Eisenberg also ordered Hill to complete four years’ probation following parole, meaning Hill will be under court supervision for about six years. The judge said Hill must complete an anger management counseling program and undergo drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations and comply

with all recommendations for treatment.

The judge ordered Hill to have no contact with the victim and his family and to “stay away from Pottstown High School,” according to court documents.

An investigation revealed that at about 9 p.m. Aug. 16 Hill initiated contact with multiple juveniles near bleachers on school grounds and began yelling and using profanity toward the teenagers, according to a criminal complaint filed by Pottstown Police Officer Anthony N. Fischer.

Hill, according to court papers, allegedly was angry about what he believed was one teenage boy’s contact with a juvenile female and he threatened violence against the boy and stated, “I’ll leave before the cops show up.” In his anger, Hill allegedly punched a nearby bike, damaging the rear wheel “to the point the bike is disabled,” Fischer alleged.

“Hill then gripped (the teenage boy) by his clothing, pushed him, held him against the bleachers, struck him in the face with an open hand and pushed (the boy) to the ground,” Fischer alleged in the criminal complaint.

Others in the area pulled Hill away from the teenager. Witnesses subsequently reported the incident to school staff and to police. Fischer, who was assigned to the high school as the school resource officer, and school officials investigated the matter and interviewed the juveniles involved.

The juvenile victim confirmed he was assaulted by Hill, police said.

During a meeting at the high school on Aug. 29, Hill was interviewed about the allegations. Hill “was agitated” and only advised that he damaged a bike during the incident and he promised to replace the bike, according to court documents.

“Due to Hill’s anger and defensive tone, I began to escort Hill off school grounds,” Fischer wrote in the arrest affidavit, adding a school administrator provided Hill a “No Trespass” letter advising Hill he was not permitted on any school district property until further notice and that police would be notified if he was observed on school property.

“As I escorted Hill off school grounds, I read the letter to him and further advised Hill he is not permitted on or around any school property or at any school event,” Fischer added.

Less than an hour later, at 8:41 a.m. on Aug. 29, police responded to the district administration building on Beech Street and observed Hill in the parking lot and he was taken into custody without incident for trespassing, according to the criminal complaint.

Other charges of trespassing, harassment and criminal mischief were dismissed against Hill in exchange for his guilty plea to the simple assault and terroristic threats charges.