Irwin, Pa – from www.kdka.com – Police say a Central Blood Bank worker won’t be charged for accidentally showing pornography to high school students during a blood drive presentation last month.
The employee was preparing to give a Power Point presentation to Norwin High School’s senior class when the racy images briefly showed up on the screen.
Students said they saw about four or five pictures — one of which showed a sex act, while the worker was setting up the presentation.
“He put his flash drive in and all this stuff popped up,” student Zach Hutchins told KDKA.
North Huntingdon Police Sgt. Jeffrey Bouldin says Westmoreland County prosecutors determined the incident didn’t amount to a crime.
Central Blood Bank issued a letter of apology about the incident — explaining that the worker violated its policies by not having a supervisor review his presentation and by using a personal computer storage device.
Attorney Peter Payne says he still plans to sue the blood bank on behalf of upset parents.
from www.pittsburghlive.com – A Central Blood Bank employee won’t face criminal charges for a brief X-rated computer presentation at a Norwin High School assembly last month, but an attorney said he still plans to sue the organization on behalf of upset parents.
School officials contacted North Huntingdon police on Sept. 10 to investigate after the male employee’s portable computer flash drive displayed pornographic photos on a projection screen during a morning assembly for seniors about the importance of donating blood.
Many of the students at the assembly were minors.
Police received a statement from the employee, whom the Pittsburgh-based organization suspended, as part of their investigation.
“The district attorney determined that there would be no charges filed,” police Sgt. Jeffrey Bouldin said Thursday.
District Attorney John Peck was in court yesterday and not immediately available for comment.
Students have said the photos, which they described as male homosexual pornography, popped onto the screen after an assistant principal inserted the presenter’s flash drive into a computer as part of an intended PowerPoint slide show.
Norwin officials last month called the incident “inexcusable” and sent home a letter of apology to parents. A later assembly for juniors was canceled.
“The school district turned it over to the law-enforcement professionals,” Norwin Superintendent William Kerr said. “We have to certainly trust their judgment with how it was handled.”
A letter to parents from the Central Blood Bank’s chief operating officer said the employee, who was not identified, ignored organizational policies requiring a supervisor’s review of a presentation and prohibiting the use of a personal flash drive.
Despite the absence of a criminal case, attorney Peter Payne said he plans to move forward with a lawsuit against the Central Blood Bank.
Payne said he’s heard from a “significant amount of parents” who were upset by the incident, but he declined to describe the specific allegations he intends to make in the suit.
The incident “doesn’t pass the smell test,” he said.
“I’m in the business of righting wrongs, and this is really wrong,” Payne said.