Pa. elementary teacher banned for allegedly spying on naked woman

A Fox Chapel Area School District teacher has been banned from school property following his arrest for taking photos of a naked woman without consent after he was caught spying through her bedroom window from a ladder.

According to a criminal complaint, O’Hara Township police arrested 51-year-old James Hart, a teacher at Kerr Elementary School, on June 7, Pittsburgh’s WPXI reported, adding that police said his alleged crimes occurred at a home on Field Club Road when Hart stood on a ladder and watched the disrobed woman before being discovered.

When the victim confronted Hart, he allegedly said, “I don’t know what I was doing. I’m very sorry,” according to the criminal complaint referenced by WXPI.

The report also claimed that the victim told police that Hart allegedly put a spy camera in her bedroom two years ago.

Fox Chapel Area School District spokeswoman Bonnie Berzonski told WXPI News the allegations are not related to any students in the district, and Hart has been barred fromschool property since August.

The Fox Chapel Area School District filed a report on Hart’s charges with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services ChildLine and the state Department of Education, Berzonski stated in a related TribLive report.

“When district administrators were made aware of the formal charges, [Hart] was immediately removed and barred from school district property pending the resolution of the criminal case,” Berzonski said in a statement quoted by WXPI.

Attempts to reach Hart or his attorney, Michael Santicola, were unsuccessful, TribLive reported, adding that Hart is awaiting trial Feb. 22 in Allegheny County.