Prosecutor weighs action in two cases

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

The prosecutor will make the final call in both situations.

BROOKFIELD — The fates of two school board members here involved in a physical fight during a board executive session and a pupil who is believed to have created a “hit list” containing students’ names are in the hands of the prosecutor.

Police Chief Daniel Faustino said it is unlikely the 9-year-old accused of creating the list of names at Brookfield Middle School will be prosecuted, but police have investigated the matter and handed all information over to the prosecutor. He said matters concerning younger pupils are most often handled between the school and parents.

According to police reports, the boy wrote the names of several pupils in the notebook of another pupil along with the words “Who to kill next!” and the days on which those attacks were to take place. The boy then took the notebook up to a teacher and reported that he had found it.

Police reports say the boy then went around telling other pupils whose names he had written down, and when they were scheduled to be killed. School officials said this made several other children nervous and afraid, “causing a mode of panic.”

The boy eventually told officials he wrote the list of names in an attempt to get another pupil into trouble, and that it was all a joke.

Superintendent Stephen Stohla said the boy has been suspended and remains out of school. He said that he has not spoken to the boy’s parents, but that a decision on expulsion will be made after he speaks with them.

An unidentified adult reached at the boy’s home Monday said the family had no comment.

There still may be legal action stemming from a fight between board members Ronald Brennan and Joseph Pasquerilla earlier this month.

According to police reports, Brennan said board members disagreed about issues related to new board candidates when things became heated. He said Pasquerilla stood up, approached him and open-handed slapped him.

Brennan admitted that in the heat of the argument he called Pasquerilla a dictator and a “son of a b----.”

Pasquerilla told police the events occurred as Brennan stated except that Brennan stood up first. He said that he was struck by Brennan with a forearm to his chest and that he only struck back in self-defense.

Two other board members present were Timothy Filipovich and Dean Fisher. Neither gave statements to police the day of the incident, but police have since spoken to both members.

“We finished up the interviews with the other board members that the prosecutor wanted us to do and those have been referred back to the prosecutor and the complainant,” Faustino said.

The chief added the prosecutor will determine whether charges will be filed.

An officer regularly attends board meetings, but Faustino said he has no plans to ask the officer to attend executive sessions where this fight took place.

“My hope is that there will be no additional instances. We will not be attending their executive sessions. I don’t think that is needed,” he added.

jgoodwin@vindy.com