Ex-Norwin guidance counselor waives hearing on drug charges
A former Norwin Middle School guidance counselor accused of having illicit drugs on school property last year waived his rights to a preliminary hearing Wednesday in district court in North Huntingdon.
Richard Wesley Kean, 54, of Verona was scheduled to have a hearing before District Judge Wayne Gongaware on charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia that North Huntingdon police had filed in November. Kean is scheduled to be arraigned before Westmoreland County Judge Meagan A. Bilik-DeFazio in Greensburg on March 16.
Police accused Kean of having crystal meth and a glass pipe in his car parked in the middle school lot, as well as a plastic bag with drugs, a clean glass pipe and another with burnt residue in a case tucked into his pants on Nov. 2.
Norwin staff also allegedly found a glass pipe with burnt residue in Kean’s office desk.
Kean was suspended without pay on Nov. 9 and reached a resignation agreement which was approved by the Norwin School Board on Nov. 15.
Kean remains free on $1,500 unsecured bond.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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