State Police arrest Lew-Port School Board member
on stalking charge

by Terry Duffy
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, December 9, 2006

New York State Police on Monday announced the arrest of Lewiston-Porter Board of Education member Leonard Palumbo, 39, on charges of stalking in the fourth degree.

According to State Police Troop A Commander, Maj. Michael Manning, and Trooper Rebecca Gibbons, public information officer at the Batavia regional headquarters, Palumbo of Lower River Road was cited by State Trooper Danny Cullen from the Niagara substation on Witmer Road for allegedly stopping his vehicle and revving his engine in front of the Tryon Drive residence of Lewiston-Porter Middle School instructor Richard Sweeney on numerous occasions over the past several months.

“The charges are completely false,” said Palumbo when contacted yesterday. “I live up there … there are occasions when we do pass each other.”

For area residents, the arrest marks a new chapter in what’s developed into a brewing situation between Palumbo and the Sweeney family. Past accounts have linked comments over school board-teachers issues aired by Sweeney at much earlier Lewiston-Porter School Board meetings to differences between the two, and resultant Lew-Port School Board directives against Sweeney for coaching. The latest State Police reports however, based on information furnished by the Sweeney family, allege Palumbo to have continued the activities over past months, resulting in a female victim, identified later as Katherine Sweeney, to fear for her personal safety.

Attorney Damen DeCastro, who represents the Sweeneys, said that the state police allegations involving Palumbo have nothing to do with the earlier differences between Sweeney and the school board. “It’s not a school board issue,” said DeCastro. “The situations occurred when she was alone with her two children. He intentionally harassed her.”

DeCastro said the woman’s only known association with Palumbo occurred early last year when the two competed against each other on a volleyball team. “He’s trying to intimidate her,” said DeCastro, saying that the incidents occurred over past months while the woman was pregnant and continued until last month.

Troopers allege that on one separate occasion, Palumbo had slowed down and stopped his vehicle while the woman was walking down the road. “There’s absolutely no reason for him to drive by her house,” DeCastro said, adding that State Police issued an Order of Protection on her behalf on Sunday night.

Palumbo said Lewiston Police Chief Ron Winkley, whose department had been monitoring the situation, had told him it “was unsubstantiated.” Winkley was unavailable for comment as the Sentinel went to press.

“This is what happens when you run for the Lewiston-Porter School Board,” said Palumbo, adding “there’s a lot of unholy alliances. We’re going to get to the bottom of what happened.”

Palumbo, who was arraigned Sunday by Town of Lewiston Justice Hugh Gee, was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to return to Town of Lewiston Court on Tuesday, Dec. 12.