WILKES-BARRE – A judge dismissed domestic violence-related charges against Pittston Area Superintendent Kevin Booth during a preliminary hearing at the Luzerne County Central Court on Tuesday.
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Julian Truskowski told the court that the superintendent’s wife, Jessica Booth, no longer wanted to proceed in pressing charges, especially given Kevin Booth’s completion of both rehabilitation and anger-management programs. Truskowski said the commonwealth was asking that the charges against Booth be dropped.
Luzerne County Magisterial District Judge Joseph Carmody, after having Jessica Booth assure the court that she did not want to proceed, she was not being coerced, and she was not under the influence of any substances, dismissed the charges without further comment.
Jessica and Kevin Booth both declined comment as they left the courtroom. Kevin Booth’s attorney, Kurt Lynott, also declined comment.
Truskowski said after the hearing that prosecutors had little choice in dropping the case.
“She didn’t want to proceed, so our hands are sort of tied,” Truskowski said.
Pittston police arrested Booth on Oct. 5 after he arrived at home and was alleged to have choked his wife. Police said Booth denied the allegation of domestic violence after having initially told law enforcement he had “no idea” what had happened. Booth, 55, was subsequently arraigned on one charge of simple assault and one charge of harassment and released on $2,500 unsecured bail. After his arrest and release, Booth secured admission into an inpatient treatment facility.
Jessica Booth filed for divorce Oct. 27, alleging her husband’s conduct had made her “condition intolerable and life burdensome.” She had also petitioned the court for a temporary protection-from-abuse order against the superintendent, though that order has since been withdrawn at her request.
Since their superintendent’s arrest, Pittston Area School District officials have steadfastly refused to comment on Booth’s employment status, citing district privacy policies around personnel matters. Pittston Area officials have also declined to say whether a district health insurance policy covered Booth’s rehabilitation treatment. The Pittston Area Board of Education did, however, place an anonymous employee on administrative leave Oct. 21 during the first school board meeting following Booth’s arrest. Assistant Superintendent John Haas has taken what had been the superintendent’s role at school board meetings, serving in Booth’s stead.
The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.