Employee allegedly had drugs on school property

A McKeesport Area School District custodian is on unpaid leave after police say he was caught with drugs in his car on school property.

Jason Tom, 42, of North Versailles was charged with prohibited acts – possession and prohibited acts after a drug bust in the school’s parking lot Aug. 30, court records state.

Tom is the sixth school district employee investigation in the past few weeks, with the school’s superintendent stepping down and a security guard sex scandal as well.

Tom told police that he was a school janitor just finishing his shift when he was approached in the school parking lot, court records state.

Police noticed Tom was acting nervous and appeared to have bags in the car. Those bags were later discovered to be 260 stamp bags full of heroin, according to police, and Tom admitted that he was an addict, but didn’t say why he had such a large amount of drugs on school property.

McKeesport police are further investigating Tom, while the school board said it’s a personnel matter.

A preliminary hearing for Tom before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 28.