The father of a former Highlands School District teacher charged with sexually assaulting students will have his own day in court.
Harold Dicer, the father of Sean Dicer, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday on charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. His case now will head to Allegheny County Court.
The elder Dicer waited in the lobby of District Judge Tom Swan’s courtroom while his attorney, Duke George, appeared before the judge to waive the case to court. Afterward, George told TribLive it was an unexpected decision.
“We thought we were going to get it worked out,” George said. “We tried to get it worked out here on this level. These cases usually work to disorderly conduct, pay a fine, get out of there. They’re looking for a trial, and that’s what we’re going to have.”
Dicer, 77, of Plum was charged in February after, police say, he attempted to drive his SUV into a television news crew.
Dicer had been at a preliminary hearing for his son, who appeared before District Judge Michael Girardi in Harmar for several sex-related charges. They stem from alleged incidents in 2007 when Sean Dicer, 53, was a fifth grade teacher at the former Fairmount Elementary School.
According to the criminal complaint, WPXI reporter Gabriella DeLuca and photographer David Clark were attempting to get a statement from Sean Dicer after his hearing when Harold Dicer appeared to drive his vehicle at them.
In a video of the incident filmed by WPXI, Harold Dicer is seen backing out of a parking spot and then accelerating toward the news crew.
Passing DeLuca, Harold Dicer continued to drive toward Clark, forcing him to back up to avoid being hit, according to the complaint. In a clip from WPXI’s report, the camera operator can be heard yelling: “You going to run me over?”
There was no exit to the parking lot in the direction Harold Dicer was driving, the complaint said.
The report noted that Harold Dicer cursed at the news crew.
WPXI officials, DeLuca and Clark declined comment on the matter.