Special ed teacher arrested on warrant Man wanted in Florida on bad check charge

SEARSPORT – A middle school special education teacher was arrested Tuesday on a warrant from Florida.

Steven Petralia, 44, of Searsport is wanted for failing to appear in court in Florida on charges of writing checks with no funds. Searsport police arrested Petralia without incident about 4 p.m., Chief James Gillway said Thursday.

Because Petralia has not been convicted of the bad check charges, the state’s teacher screening process did not prevent the man from securing certification in Maine, said Yellow Light Breen of the state Department of Education.

The screening process, which includes a controversial fingerprinting provision, flags certification candidates who either have been convicted on charges of harming children through abuse, molestation, or assault, or who have been convicted of any crime in recent years.

“We’re looking for individuals with convictions,” Breen explained. By statute, the state can only review records as far back as three years for convictions not relating to children.

The screening process would identify anyone who has been discharged from the criminal justice system within the last three years, he said. Minor infractions, such as traffic violations, do not prevent teachers from being certified, nor do convictions from several years ago that do not relate to children.

Petralia was hired by Waldo Regional Special Services in September as a teacher for pupils at the Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. The regional program, based in Searsport, provides special education for three school districts in Waldo County.

Paul Meyers, an investigator with the Florida State Attorney’s Office, said Thursday a routine review of Petralia’s case prompted a search for his whereabouts. Through a police database, Petralia was found to be living in Searsport.

Gillway said Searsport police received a telephone call from Key West, Fla., asking the department to arrest Petralia. He was arrested at his Mt. Ephraim Road home, the chief said.

Florida law enforcement officials want to have Petralia returned to that state to face the bad check charges.

Petralia was released on bail from Waldo County Jail on Thursday. He must return to Belfast District Court for a hearing Dec. 11, at which time his extradition to Florida may be decided.

Meyers said Petralia was arrested for writing bad checks in 1998. One bad check totaled $7,700, he said. Petralia had worked out an agreement by which he would plead guilty to a lesser charge. But when the court date for entering the plea came, Petralia did not appear, Meyers said. When arrested, Gillway said, Petralia told the officer the charges stemmed from a bad business deal.

Richard Higgins, director of Waldo Regional Special Services, said Thursday he knew little about the matter.

“I don’t have a lot of facts. He has not been at work for the last couple of days,” he said of Petralia. “We have been conducting our own inquiry.”

Higgins would not comment on what action would be taken concerning Petralia’s future employment. The special education region’s board of directors meets next week and likely will discuss the situation, he said. In the meantime, a substitute has been hired for Petralia’s class.

Paul Luttrell, assistant superintendent for SAD 34 in Belfast, said teachers are under contract and are not typically fired in such situations.

“The usual procedure is you put them out on leave with pay,” he said.

Even if a teacher is found guilty of a crime, which is not yet the case with Petralia, the employer must prove beyond a reasonable doubt the infraction means continued employment “is not in the best interests of children,” Luttrell said.