Roslyn Heights woman charged in Paterno riot

Richard Tedesco

A Roslyn Heights woman attending Pennsylvania State University was charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct last Tuesday for her role in a Nov. 9 riot in downtown State College over the dismissal of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, according to State College Police.

Nicole Gordon, 20, of 139 Andover Road, Roslyn Heights, allegedly jumped atop a Ford Explorer SUV during a demonstration objecting to the popular coach’s firing over his failure to act on child molesting allegations against a former assistant football coach on his staff.

Gordon and three other Penn State students, Hayley Davidson of Del Ray Beach, Fla.; Kristina Skordas of Hewlett, NY; and Carly Leventhal from Cheshire, CT, are accused with causing approximately $3,300 in damage to the vehicle. They remained on top of the SUV until a man started violently rocking the car, according to State College police.

Police said three of the four women were identified through photographs of the incident the police department had posted on the State College Web site. A fourth woman turned herself in.

All four suspects were cooperative when subsequently contacted, police said, adding that they said they intended to pay the victim for the damage to the vehicle.

The women were released on unsecured bail of $10,000 each after being arraigned in Magisterial District Court in State College on Dec. 14.

Gordon faces a preliminary hearing on the misdemeanor charges against her on Jan. 11.

A fifth Penn State student, 22-year-old Shawn Munir, was also charged on Tuesday with riot, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct for helping tip over a WTAJ-TV news van on the same day the other students jump on top of the SUV .

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