YSU employee accuses scientist of assault inside chemistry lab

By Harold Gwin

The prosecutor did not find sufficient evidence to bring charges against the chemist.

YOUNGSTOWN — City Prosecutor Jay Macejko said he won’t file charges against a chemistry scientist at Youngstown State University accused of assaulting another YSU employee in a chemistry lab Tuesday.

Following a YSU police investigation in the case, Macejko said the matter “didn’t rise to the level of an assault.”

The police report said that Matthias Zeller, 37, identified as an instrumentation scientist in the chemistry department, is accused of assaulting Raymond Hoff, 48, an instrumentation service specialist in the same department, in a confrontation in a laboratory in Ward Beecher Hall at about 5:30 p.m.

Hoff told police that he witnessed, via a webcam, Zeller performing a test using an X-ray machine in the lab that Zeller isn’t authorized to use.

Hoff said he entered the lab and attempted to remove the override key that Zeller was using to operate the machine, and that Zeller grabbed his left forearm, injuring him. Hoff told police said he was prompted to remove the key because of a risk of physical harm to those not properly trained to operate the machine.

Police said Hoff had visible scratches and redness on his left forearm.

The police report said Zeller told officers that he instinctively grabbed Hoff’s arm when Hoff tried to take the key, and the two then began to argue.

A visiting professor from the University of Illinois was in the lab at the time and told police he believed that Zeller grabbed Hoff’s arm but that he didn’t actually observe him doing so.

Macejko said the police report indicated there has been a history of conflict between Zeller and Hoff.

Although he declined to file a charge against Zeller, Macejko did recently file a misdemeanor menacing charge against another YSU employee, Ivan Maldonado, president of the Association of Classified Employees union, after a female YSU employee said he made a telephone call to her that she felt was threatening.

Macejko said there is a “huge difference” between the two cases but that he couldn’t comment on the menacing case at this time because it is pending in the court system.

The university has placed Maldonado on paid administrative leave.

A YSU spokesman said action will be taken in the matter involving Zeller and Hoff, but that Zeller was on vacation the rest of this week and isn’t scheduled to return to work until Monday. The spokesman declined to specify what action will be taken until that time.