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Updated 26 minutes ago

A Whitehall man has been convicted of harassing and threatening several members of the Baldwin-Whitehall School Board.

Thomas Barchfeld, 61, was sentenced to three years probation with the first year to be served on house arrest, by Allegheny County Judge Jill Rangos. The judge convicted Barchfeld on four counts of harassment and one count of terroristic threats following a non-jury trial.

Barchfeld, a Glen Elm Drive resident, previously ran for the B-W school board and often spoke at board meetings.

But in April 2014, he refused to leave the podium at a meeting and was escorted from the premises. He subsequently was banned from all district property.

The following month, he telephoned three board members, Martin Michael Schmotzer, Ray Rosing and Larry Pantuso and referring to the ban, said the board had “stopped him from exercising his First Amendment right” so “he would be forced to exercise his Second Amendment right.”

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects free speech; the Second Amendment refers to the right to bear and keep arms.

“I've been reasonable long enough, it's time to start being unreasonable,” Barchfeld said in a recording to one board member, according to court papers.

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