Staff report

LIBERTY — A former Liberty Local Schools employee — who had his resignation accepted Monday by the school board — has been charged with felony vandalism and misdemeanor theft after being accused of stealing a desktop computer earlier this month.

Luke Polito, 35, of Poland, will appear before Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeffrey Adler on May 27, court records show.

According to a Liberty police report, an officer serving as a school resource officer received a text May 12 from Superintendent Brian Knight that he was needed by high school Principal Tom Zetts. When the officer arrived in the principal’s office, Knight explained that Polito, an intervention specialist for the district, took a desktop computer from a Liberty PK-6 Elementary School classroom, the report states.

Zetts told the officer he received a call from Polito on May 10, and Polito told Zetts he had taken the computer out of the school May 9 and put it in his car. According to the report, Polito said he was using the computer during work to apply and search for jobs and he wanted to delete his resume and applications from the computer, not wanting them to find out he was using the computer and work time for such purposes.

Polito said he planned to return the computer the following Monday. When he was cleaning his car, however, he put the computer on the roof and it either got knocked or bumped off.

The report states he told Zetts he panicked and took the computer to a recycling dumpster in Boardman, where he threw it in after it fell to the ground and broke. Polito said he got nervous later that night about what he did, so he went back to the dumpster to retrieve the computer Saturday morning, but it was not there.

Knight asked the officer to stay in the office for an administrative meeting with Polito’s union representative, himself and Zetts, where Polito recounted the events to Knight. Polito was then told immediately afterward he was being placed on administrative leave.

The officer waited for Polito at his police vehicle and told Polito he was filing charges, which were entered into Girard Municipal Court’s records on May 16.

Knight released the following statement last week: “Liberty Local Schools is aware of an ongoing investigation involving a staff member. The individual is currently on paid administrative leave. As this is a legal matter, the district will have no further comment at this time.”

Polito’s resignation was accepted by the Liberty Board of Education on Monday night. Zetts, who stood in for Knight at the meeting, said Polito’s resignation was submitted before the incident and had no connection.