Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors tabled all of its potential hires Monday night after questions arose about a school police officer candidate.

Bejtullah Mehmeti Jr. was one of two officer candidates listed on Monday’s agenda, but director Heather Neff requested the vote be tabled after doing research into his background.

“I don’t think it would be beneficial that he would be employed by district,” Neff said.

Mehmeti, then a member of the Allentown Police Department, was charged by Mahoning Township Police in 2019 with simple assault and harassment following an alleged domestic incident.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by police officer Corey Frey, a woman called police and said that her boyfriend, Mehmeti, punched her in the face, and said that she had bruising to the face and her tooth was chipped.

Frey spoke with Mehmeti, who said that the woman had been drinking and tried to leave the residence.

Mehmeti said he grabbed the her bag to take it away from her, but she would not let it go. He said they both pulled on the bag, and that the woman pulled the bag from him.

Mehmeti told police that when she pulled the bag, she struck herself in the face, and she chipped a tooth.

In Carbon County court, Mehmeti pleaded to one count of harassment, as a summary offense, with a charge of simple assault dropped in a plea agreement. He was fined $300.

Lehighton Superintendent Dr. Christina Fish said the district conferred with its solicitor, Fox Rothschild, and there were “no reasons for pulling him from the agenda.”

“He has his clearances and we really have to be careful we don’t cross the line of discrimination for reasons of non-employment,” Fish said. “His plea was not actionable for non-employment and I have a concern that we are setting the district up for a potential lawsuit.”

Patricia Sterner, a Lehighton parent and its varsity cheerleading coach, said while Mehmeti wasn’t convicted of the assault charge, it will stick out to district parents.

“As someone who has a child in the district if that is the first thing that pops out, parents will be asking the same question,” Sterner said.

Lehighton has a voting meeting scheduled for May 30 at 7 p.m. Fish said Mehmeti was prepared to meet with the board in executive session to vet any concerns directors had with his potential employment.

Monday’s agenda item listed his starting salary, if hired, at $25 per hour with a start date of July 1.

Director Brian Shaner was the lone board member to vote against putting the vote off a week.

“I think we’re walking a very fine line,” he told his colleagues.