Celina Sagan at DJ Armbrusters office.
LEWISBURG — Accused of endangering the welfare of a student, and assault, a fired Lewisburg teacher Celina Sagan Thursday declined to have a preliminary hearing in magistrates court. She will instead apply for ARD, a type of probation, typically for first time offenders. The case now heads to the county District Attorney and probation departments for consideration.
An assistant Union County DA Marty Wilson said, if accepted, the felony endangering charge would be dropped, and eventually Sagan could seek to have the charges expunged from her record.
She was fired from the Lewisburg school district May 24, because of the March 30 incident where state police say she dragged a student out of a classroom. An aide later reported the incident to the state’s ChildLine system.
Sagan is free on bail while the ARD application is considered by the Union County Courts. She declined to talk with reporters present for a scheduled hearing Thursday. The former pre-kindergaten school teacher at Kelly Elementary, was arrested on a felony count of endangering the welfare of a child and a misdemeanor count of simple assault.
Court papers say she dragged a student by the feet out of a classroom, through a hallway, and into another room. Court papers also indicate the aide told Assistant Superintendent Cathy Moser about the incident the next day, but didn’t get a response so she called ChildLine a week later.
Lewisburg Superintendent Dr. Steven Skalka tells WKOK says neither the aide or Moser did anything incorrect and the district acted immediately after the ChildLine report was filed. He also tells us the student is no longer enrolled in the school district by choice of the foster parent.
