The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

December 11, 2009

Police won’t file charges

Chief: Whether Pasquerilla punched Yassall undetermined

By Patrick Cooley

BROOKFIELD — Controversial Brookfield school board member Joe Pasquerilla won’t face charges, township police said Friday after investigating reports he punched a man outside a convenience store.

“There will not be charges filed by us,” said Brookfield police chief Dan Faustino. “It’s up to the victim if he would like to file, but after reviewing with the prosecutor, the state will not file charges.”

Either man can file charges privately, and those charged would be investigated by the Trumbull County Eastern District Court prosecutor.

Pasquerilla and Paul Yassall, a member of the group that tried to oust the one-time board president from his post, got into an argument at the Quick Stop on Warren Sharon Road, police said. Whether Pasquerilla punched Yassall can’t be determined, because of a lack of independent witnesses and differences in the testimony of the two men involved, police said.

A witness, the owner of the Quick Stop, told police that Yassall followed Pasquerilla into the parking lot, and Pasquerilla swung at Yassall. Police said that they initially had a hard time getting information from the witness because of a language barrier, but the man’s son acted as a translator.

Faustino said that the two men told police that they liked Yassall but didn’t like Pasquerilla.

“So you lose your independent witnesses,” Faustino said.

Yassall and Pasquerilla gave conflicting stories to police. Yassall said that Pasquerilla started the confrontation by taunting him and saying things about his father and mother, and then waiting for him in the parking lot. Pasquerilla told police that Yassall had taunted him in the store, and then followed him into the parking lot.

Neither man returned phone messages seeking comment this week.

Pasquerilla was elected to the school board four years ago after promising to control spending and received by far the most votes of any candidate. In November, running on a ticket with his wife and daughter, Pasquerilla lost his seat soundly.

Last year, Pasquerilla was found guilty of assault for slapping fellow board member Ronald Brennan during a closed-door school board meeting. He was fined $250, given a suspended jail sentence, and ordered to take anger-management classes. He was also suspended from three school board meetings.

Yassal is a member of Save Our Schools, a group of township residents who have battled with Pasquerilla during his tenure. They sought his removal, claiming his battles with the teachers union, parochial school parents and other issues had cost the district hundreds of thousands in legal fees.

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