The principal of Pleasant Valley Intermediate School was found not guilty of harassment by Magisterial District Judge Brian Germano on Monday.

PVIS Principal Kendal Askins’ husband Andre Askins filed a charge of harassment against his wife following a domestic incident on March 31 at their house in East Stroudsburg. Andre Askins told Judge Germano that his wife followed him from room-to-room after an argument, and a scuffle ensued over keys. Askins said his wife punched him in the face. The incident ended with Kendal Askins calling 911.

According to the non-traffic citation, the domestic incident occurred around 6:56 p.m. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Bryan Kolodziej responded to the call at the residence. His report stated that Andre Askins said he was struck with an open hand on the right side of his face on two occasions, causing redness to his right eye.

During the summary trial on Monday, Andre Askins brought pictures he took of his face the day after the incident to show the judge. The judge told him that Kendal Askin’s attorney, Brian Jordan, had objected to the pictures being admitted into evidence at the hearing. Jordan was not present at the summary trial on Monday. An attorney in his office attended in his place.

After giving it some consideration, Germano agreed to look at the pictures.

“This doesn’t show any harm to your face. It proves that Mrs. Askins didn’t hurt you,” he said.

Germano said he thinks this is a case of a domestic dispute that resulted in a scuffle, but it isn’t to the level of harassment.

“I’ll be straight up here. I don’t see any injury,” Germano said. “(The pictures) would, therefore, be perfectly consistent with her story that the two of you mutually struggled over said keys and you probably both got bumped up pretty good. That doesn’t mean that she committed an harassment.”

Germano told Andre Askins that the photos are not persuasive.

“Am I going to convict only her and not you? No, I’m not,” he said.

Germano said that according to testimony given at the hearing, Kendal Askins said they struggled over the keys, because she wanted to leave and take their children, and her husband wouldn’t let her leave.

“It’s your word against hers. There’s nothing here that breaks the deadlock. It’s a stalemate,” Germano said. “She hasn’t been impeached. It’s a ‘he said, she said’, and the standard outcome in such cases is a verdict of not guilty.”