By Dan Murphy
As a father with a 17-year-old daughter in the Lakeland School District, I take an interest in any story – or accusations – that may come out concerning anyone involved with the education of students in the district.
So I read with interest a publication in northern Westchester that highlighted a recent summons given to Anthony Cassone, or Cortland, for numerous phone calls made to Lakeland School District Superintendent Dr. George Stone.
A further reading of the story explained that Cassone was making accusations against two employees in the Lakeland School District – one a teacher and another a custodian.
I found it curious that both the photograph on the front page of the paper, and the accusations made in court against Cassone, made it appear that Cassone was the criminal in this matter, when in fact it was Cassone’s accusations against a teacher and custodian that had me more concerned.
A look at Cassone’s social media shows that he has posted rewards, first of $100,000, then $200,000, and now $1 million for information leading to the arrest of the two individuals accused by Cassone of either dating underage girls and former students, or touching young, elementary school-age children.
Cassone names the teacher he has accused of being “a child predator” in the flyer. We wondered: Why wouldn’t that teacher, or a member of the Lakeland School District – or anyone – sue Cassone for libel or slander, or take some legal action against him other than a summons for harassment for the multiple phone calls, texts and messages made by Cassone against Stone?
We decided to speak directly to Cassone to find out why he is on this crusade. Cassone has a lot to say, and his actions, which include appearing at Lakeland School Board meetings almost every month, and protesting outside the Lakeland School District and Panas High School, make him a very non-traditional advocate.
The teacher in question, according to Cassone, is Walter Panas High School teacher Ryan Dobson. Cassone claims he has spoken to parents of more than one former student who engaged in sexual relations with Dobson when she was younger than 17, which would be a crime if proven true.
So far, no female former student at Panas has been willing to come forward with allegations against Dobson. That is why several police inquires into the matter – Cassone has gone to the Yorktown, county and state police – has come up with no evidence or proof, to substantiate Cassone’s allegations.
That is the statement Stone has given to the media when asked; that all investigations, including one conducted by the Lakeland School District, and the law enforcement agencies above, have all come up “with no evidence or witnesses testifying to his charges.”
Cassone said his claims have been covered up by the school district, and that he will present his evidence at some point if needed. Obviously, for the parents of daughters who were allegedly involved with Dobson, coming forward would be uncomfortable.
Cassone said he first heard about accusation against Dobson more than one year ago. Both of his children have long since graduated from the Lakeland schools, but one of his grandchildren attends elementary school in the district.
Cassone is not your usual child attendee at a school board meeting. He wears T-shirts that read “Child predators and people who cover for child predators are scum pure scum,” and marches in front of the administration building holding signs that read ‘Get the child predators out of Lakeland Schools’ and “Make the schools safe for all students.”
Several police departments have responded to complaints about Cassone outside of the school district’s administration building or Panas High School – but he has never been arrested.
Cassone also claims he has had conversations with former school district employees and students who “all know about Dobson and tell me about it”
Why is Cassone spending so much time and energy on accusations that have put the blame on him? “My kids are out of school,” he said. “I don’t want anything for myself, but it sickens me when I hear stories about young girls who were taken advantage by this teacher, whose salary we all pay. It’s disgusting and I want other parents with kids in the schools to know about it.”
Cassone has a wealth of other evidence, in the form of Dobson’s personal life and relationships, and other witnesses to Dobson’s alleged improper behavior, he said. Cassone is ready for a public discussion, or trial, regarding the conduct of Dobson, and is ready to put his life through a myriad of minor infractions, summonses and upcoming court dates to make it happen.
The $1 million reward was posted in an attempt to get someone to come forward. “I think anyone with knowledge of this case knows that something improper happened at Panas High School,” said Cassone, who says he has received dozens of emails and social media messages from parents who put the number of victims between 10 and 15. “The next step is for someone to come forward, on the record, and turn him in.
“I’m trying to get justice… They are trying to cover it up. I have direct knowledge of two girls who were under the age of 17 who had sex with this teacher. I will bet my grandchildren’s lives on it,” he said.
Cassone now has an order of protection against him from contacting or meeting with Stone for two years. When asked why he made the two dozen phone calls, texts and messages to Stone, which resulted in a summons against him, Cassone said: “Because I wanted him to know that you can’t shut me up, and I’m not going away. My message was you have child predators in your school district and he needs to do something about it, and I’m concerned about child safety. But I’m not going to go to jail. I’m staying away from him but I will keep protesting.”
Many parents of Panas students have requested not to have Dobson teaching their children, according to Cassone, who was sent a “cease and desist” letter from attorney’s representing the Lakeland School District; that is a common way to try and get someone to leave them alone.
But Cassone isn’t ready to stop. “They want to shut me up but I’m trying to protect kids,” he said.
Usually, the district attorney does not comment on whether the office has declined to pursue charges against an individual, but we are certain Westchester D.A. Anthony Scarpino, or someone from his office, has read either this account or the story in the Northern Westchester Examiner.
Cassone also has charges lodged against him by Panas Principal Joseph Spero similar to those made by Stone.The charges against Cassone will be adjudicated in Cortland Town Court next month.
Our conversations with Anthony Cassone find him to be emotional but believable, and someone who appears to have the best interests of the students in the Lakeland School District in mind. And with a daughter who attends these same Lakeland Schools, that is good enough for me to ask for a complete investigation by someone into these charges.
If that means the two female students who allegedly had relations with their teacher before they were 17 have to be interviewed, so be it.
