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Briarcliff School Board Scuffle Agreement Reached

This story was updated at 6:50 p.m. with comments from Sal Maglietta

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. – Briarcliff Manor School Board Vice President Rosella Ranno said an agreement has been reached in a harassment case against fellow board member Sal Maglietta.

Ranno filed a police complaint against Maglietta in May 2011 stating that on May 17, 2011, Maglietta “pushed her shoulder, then walked over to a crowd of friends saying in a loud voice, ‘She's nasty and angry. I didn't push her.’ ”

Ranno said Wednesday the case was scheduled to go to trial May 30 in Lewisboro court, but she received a call from the Mount Kisco branch of the Westchester County District Attorney's office asking her to agree to allow for an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. Ranno said she was informed that Maglietta signed the ACD on May 14. 

Ranno said in an e-mailed statement she wanted to remain silent publicly until a settlement was reached and she agreed to the dismissal for three reasons.

“1) There have been no further incidents – no violations of my orders of protection (I was granted an order of protection by the Briarcliff Court for 6 months and a second order/6 month extension in January 2012).

"2) There is a third order of protection attached to this ACD granted to me now by the Lewisboro Court.

"3) For the good of the school district.”

Ranno later said she “could never have anticipated a situation such as this while running” for the Briarcliff Board of Education.

“This has been an extremely difficult year for me,” Ranno said.

Maglietta said Wednesday that he agreed to sign the dismissal for the sake of the community.

“There shouldn’t have ever been a complaint in the first place and this case had no merit to it from its beginning,” Maglietta said, adding that the DA’s office approached him and his attorney several times about signing the ACD. “We absolutely never asked for this. It was offered to me.”

Maglietta added that he thought about agreeing to the dismissal for months.

“I had rejected it every time it was offered because I did want the opportunity to go to a trial to show that this complaint was politically motivated and false,” he said, noting that he changed his mind after several delays in the trial date. “Given that this represents a dismissal, no guilt and an expunging of records, I agreed to it so I would spare this community further embarrassment.”

Maglietta later confirmed that the agreement requires that he and Ranno do not interact outside of Board of Education meetings. 

A representative of the Mount Kisco branch of the Westchester County District Attorney’s office said the case has been sealed and declined to comment. School superintendent Neal Miller did not immediately return a call seeking comment. 

Check back for more. The Daily Briarcliff will update this story as information comes in. 

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