NEW CASTLE AREA SCHOOLS No witnesses in Havey case

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Roger Havey's legal battle with the New Castle Area School District won't include witnesses he had originally hoped to call.
Havey, the school district's former business manager, was fired last year after school board members determined he had altered a document detailing his criminal background.
Judge J. Craig Cox of Lawrence County Common Pleas Court issued an order this week stating that Havey missed the opportunity to file a petition for a supplemental hearing.
In June, Judge Cox ruled that the former business administrator was not given a fair opportunity to cross-examine two district employees he had requested be present at his termination hearing in 2003.
Havey was given 20 days to file court papers for a supplemental hearing. He missed the deadline.
Havey's attorney, his brother, John Havey, had no comment when reached Thursday afternoon.
Continuing process
Roger Havey's court case isn't over, however.
The judge noted in his court order that a separate hearing will be scheduled to determine whether an error of law was committed by the school board or whether their findings are supported by enough evidence.
During his termination hearing, Havey said he changed his state criminal background document at the instruction of schools Superintendent George Gabriel. Gabriel denies that claim.
Havey had pleaded guilty to theft charges in Elk County in 1990. Records show he was charged as a result of commingling funds from two organizations.