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.

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