Asst. principal faces domestic charge: North Fort Myers High official arrested at home

news-press ^ | 5-19-02 | MARIA CODER

[My Favorite Headache]

Asst. principal faces domestic charge
North Fort Myers High official arrested at home

By MARIA CODER, mcoder@news-press.com

A North Fort Myers High School assistant principal has been charged with domestic violence. Raymond Joseph Agostino, 49, of 1943 N.E. 5 Terrace was arrested shortly before 6 a.m. Thursday at his Cape Coral home following a 911 call from his wife. According to a Cape Coral police report, Agostino and his wife had been arguing about financial issues, but he denied any physical contact. Pamela Agostino had fresh, bloody scratches above her right eye and she’d been crying.

She said her husband tried to gouge her eyes out and pull her hair. She also said her husband had tried to strangle her the day before. Pamela Agostino did not want to press charges for fear her husband would lose his job, according to the police report. Agostino has been ordered to stay away from his wife. He’s scheduled to appear in court on June 11. Calls to the Agostino home were not returned Friday. Steve DeShazo, principal at the high school, would not comment. Georgianna McDaniel, the school district personnel director, said to her knowledge, the district has not gotten involved in Agostino’s case.

She wasn’t sure if the system would. The district will investigate incidents and arrests involving employees on a case-by-case basis. “If it’s a personal matter and not an employment-related matter, the district tries to not meddle in people’s business unless there’s a perception that there is a severe impact on the work environment,” McDaniel said. Agostino has worked for the school district almost 25 years.

[My Favorite Headache]

I am not a fan of restraining orders at all. A big waste of time in my opinion and always given out under the wrong reasons or to the wrong people. BUT! In this case...this marvel of greatness gets to keep his job as an assistant principal! I mean he only tried to kill his wife!

This story was brought to my attention because my close friend has a much younger sister that attends this high school and was shocked to open her paper and see what HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED AT THE SCHOOL.

How Nice...

[My Favorite Headache]

Ping

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

She also said her husband had tried to strangle her the day before. Pamela Agostino did not want to press charges for fear her husband would lose his job, according to the police report.

Pamela isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. She'll end up staying and chances are she'll end up dead.

[billorites]

"She said her husband tried to gouge her eyes out and pull her hair. She also said her husband had tried to strangle her the day before"

Well in most schools the assistant principal's major responsibility is enforcing discipline.

Nevertheless...

[Unknown Freeper]

So are they (the school) going to wait until he kills her to investigate? What lesson is this teaching the students? Geesh.

[EggsAckley]

I find this whole post to be specious. First of all, the link you provided has no mention of this story. Secondly, your title Asst.Principal Tries To Kill Wife;School District Keeps Him On The Job is sensationalism and I highly doubt it came from the original article. The woman could be a nut-case; "fresh scratches above her eye, and she'd been crying" does NOT spell out an attempted murder. She could have scratched herself easily....

At the risk of sounding like a "nagging nanny," remember that jimrob requested that we NOT change titles of articles, which I believe to be the case here. Perhaps you could post the real article.....?

[Clara Lou]

You're asking about the school--- What about the school board? They have a very important say in this matter. What the heck are they up to?

[Clara Lou]

Since you brought it up, I followed the link provided. I can't find the article. The link is to the front page of the newssite, but I see no story link there or in "local news" when I went there.

[My Favorite Headache]

LINK TO STORY HERE

As for your opinion...a man who is an asst. vice principal and has this going on at 6 am?? Some domestic violence stories make sense and some don't. I am buying this one because it could have very well gone on that early considering most of them are up and leaving for work at that hour. All kinds of things can go on and we were not there. I am this one going to say that trying to gouge out someone's eyes and trying to strangle them is TRYING TO KILL THEM. Sorry if you see it different.

[My Favorite Headache]

Added link

[My Favorite Headache]

I am very interested in knowing why he is able to keep his job and stay on it. If we look at what we read so far we know that she has the typical domestic violence response...she did not want this guy to lose his job. Ok so she is one of those who is so afraid maybe she knows this guys job has taken him his entire professional life (25 years) and if he loses it...he will really kill her.

As it is right now with this making the newspaper...she probably did enough damage because of her restraining order and call to 9-11. As for the headline...it is the bottom line.

[metesky]

Did ya see the one about the cop and the "escort" caught on video?

[chance33_98]

At the risk of sounding like a "nagging nanny," remember that jimrob requested that we NOT change titles of articles, which I believe to be the case here. Perhaps you could post the real article.....?

Personally it is one policy I disagree on. Reason? Example - Miss Gay Ohio, a cross dresser, was recently killed in his/her home by a man dressed as a ninja. All the local stations here covered it differently with different headlines, like 'Man killed in home on east side' or 'Miss gay ohio killed by man in home'. So which headline would I use? Which one would you read?
But other then that, I agree with your comments - the story does sound suspicious and the guy was not found guilty and until more facts are learned he probably should not lose his job (although administrative leave would be good)

[cynicom]

Nanny Eggs..

On your soapbox you are. Leave the sandbox nagging to the owner.

[Clara Lou]

(from the article) “If it’s a personal matter and not an employment-related matter, the district tries to not meddle in people’s business unless there’s a perception that there is a severe impact on the work environment,” McDaniel said.
I have a problem with the man being at work too. (In Texas, if a student commits an act of violence, that student receives a citation, is removed from campus handcuffed, and suffers some severe consequences, including schooling at a special campus for a set amount of time and community service.) The district should send this assistant principal home and let him work on something from there, or send him to administrative duty at the main office until the facts are established. You can't have a spouse-beater as a disciplinary leader. I think this is being mishandled.

[Clara Lou]

No, I missed that. LOL!! I was looking for keywords to the article of this thread.

[My Favorite Headache]

Ahhhhhhhhh now we are seeing eye to eye on this.

[EggsAckley]

I STILL say the article is very weak, and you are totally convicting this man before the facts are known. A few scratches above an eye does NOT prove that he was trying to "gouge out her eyes." I think the woman is a kook, possibly menopausal, and invented most of it. Not enough evidence. Just doesn't pass the smell test. JMHO.

And as far as the sensationalism of the title, I happen to agree with the owner of this site on that matter. We have enough problems with image, and posting phony, exaggerated titles does not help that. If you want FR to look like a supermarket tabloid, then you and cyncom just keep it up with the BS titles.

[Clara Lou]

Don't let you-know-who upset you. He rubs everyone the wrong way at very site he visits. I've seen him operate at 3 of them. His name ought to be Obnoxious.

[EggsAckley]

Thank you.