Allegheny Valley School Board candidate charged in connection with altercation at chorus concert

Allegheny Valley School Board candidate James Schiemer was charged with assault and several other misdemeanors related to a verbal altercation he is accused of starting at an elementary school chorus concert.

Before the concert Wednesday, Schiemer confronted Springdale resident and borough council candidate Josh Thompson, according to a criminal complaint. Thompson told TribLive that Schiemer believed he was behind a Facebook account that had spoken negatively about him.

After Thompson walked into the auditorium to see his daughter perform, video footage shows Schiemer walked quickly toward Thompson before “aggressively pointing and staring” at him, according to the complaint.

Throughout the altercation, Schiemer was “visibly aggressive and was speaking loudly enough to draw the attention of multiple nearby families,” according to court papers.

Schiemer used explicit language during the altercation, authorities said. The complaint does not mention any physical confrontation.

At the time, the Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School auditorium was occupied by 100 to 200 people, including children, according to the complaint.

When contacted by TribLive on Monday, Schiemer declined comment about the incident and said he was referring the matter to his attorney.

According to the complaint, Schiemer’s wife, Natalie, eventually pulled her husband away from Thompson while a district employee also became involved. When Springdale police arrived, Natalie Schiemer told police that her husband “couldn’t hold it back anymore” and had “snapped” after Thompson looked at him, the complaint said.

During an interview with TribLive, Thompson denied being behind the Facebook account but said this was not his first run-in with Schiemer, who is also his neighbor. He said Schiemer has “bullied” him for years, often mocking him for being blind in one eye.

During the incident, Thompson said, he was “in shock” and did not make an effort to respond to Schiemer.

“I hope something gets done about it, and he just doesn’t bother anyone anymore,” Thompson said.

Police interviewed Schiemer and witnesses at the scene. They arrested him on Saturday, according to court documents. He is charged with simple assault, threats and other improper influence in official and political matters, harassment, disorderly conduct, and disrupting a meeting.

Schiemer was released on non-monetary bond, court records show.

A candidate in Tuesday’s primary, Schiemer previously lost a bid for an Allegheny Valley School Board seat in 2023.

In 2004, Schiemer was found guilty of selling or furnishing alcohol to a minor and served up to a year of probation. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking and a summary charge of harassment, and served six months of probation, according to court records.

A preliminary hearing for the latest charges is set for June 2.