Cortlandt Man Pleads Guilty to Harassing Lakeland Schools Super
A Cortlandt man who was served with a criminal summons for leaving Lakeland Superintendent of Schools Dr. George Stone more than two dozen voicemails pleaded guilty to harassment and was slapped with an order of protection last week.
Anthony Cassone, 55, appeared before Hon. Gary Raniolo in Yorktown Justice Court last Thursday where he was issued an order of protection prohibiting him from contacting or meeting with Stone for two years.
Cassone, who was sporting a shirt stating, “Child predators and people who cover for child predators are scum pure scum” has alleged for several months that Lakeland School District officials are protecting Walter Panas High School teacher Ryan Dobson, who he claimed engaged in inappropriate conduct with female students.
“To cover it up makes you sick,” said Cassone, who has also protested outside the Lakeland administration building and appeared at Board of Education meetings since November. “It’s a cover up, it’s a big cover up. I want justice.”
Cassone was served with a criminal summons on June 28 and charged with second-degree harassment, a violation, after Yorktown Police responded to the Lakeland Schools Administration Building for a harassment complaint. Following an investigation, police determined Cassone left Stone approximately 25 voicemail messages between January 17 and June 17 that caused annoyance and alarm and served no legitimate purpose.
Stone said investigations have been conducted by state police, Yorktown police, Westchester County police, the DA’s office and the Lakeland Central School District, “all with no evidence or witnesses testifying to his charges,” according to the superintendent.
At Stone’s request, a criminal summons was obtained from the Yorktown Justice Court. Similar charges were also brought against Cassone by Panas Principal Joseph Spero.
While Cassone asserted he has proof of the alleged misconduct, he has plastered posters in area stores and throughout social media offering up to $1 million to anyone that comes forward with testimony leading to the arrest and conviction of Dobson.
“I’ve always been an advocate for women and children and you’re not going to have a teacher dating students,” Cassone said. “If it was my daughter, I’d hope somebody would do this for them because it’s disgusting. It’s despicable.”
He added that the order of protection won’t stop him from taking his case to trial and seeking justice. Cassone is scheduled to appear in Cortlandt Town Court on September 6.
