LANCASTER TWP — Documents submitted to the township show alleged misdoings on the part of a former police officer.

One family on Scott Ridge Road said they were subjected to harassment by former officer-in-charge David Sitler, who worked at the township police department for nearly 20 years, according to complaints obtained by The Butler Eagle via a right-to-know request.

Sitler also was investigated recently by state police for allegations of using excessive force in the arrest of township resident Kent Bowers in October. No charges were filed against Sitler.

The family which brought the complaint against Sitler is not being named to protect the identity of a juvenile family member.

One of the family members issued a complaint to the police department for multiple incidents in 2014 and 2015.

In one incident, a student was pulled out of class at Seneca Valley High School to be questioned by Sitler about her father.

The student filed a statement with the township regarding Sitler.

“I would get pulled out of class on numerous occasions, and asked to speak with officer Ryan about a PFA (protection from abuse order) with my father,” the statement says. “They asked if he was staying at a house, if I had contact with him, etc. I said I would not give any information without a parent or lawyer present given I was 16 years old.”

A letter addressed to Sitler by Lope, Casker & Casker, the same law firm that acts as the township solicitor, states that Sitler attempted to issue her a subpoena.

Later when the family visited the township police department to request that Sitler refrain from contacting the student, Sitler “responded to their request in an angry manner, approached so that you were in close proximity to the women and stated, ‘Or what?”

The letter also requested that Sitler refrain from contacting the family.

“You can imagine how scary and embarrassing it is for a 16-year-old girl to be pulled out of a classroom of her peers to meet with a police officer and receive a subpoena,” Steven Casker stated in the letter.

The family’s matriarch said Sitler chased her and her daughter from his office and (he) broke a door on the way out.

“My confrontation with Sitler was really frightening and that was the point where I kind of thought he would hit me,” the mother said in a statement to the police department.

The student said in her statement that Sitler pulled her over the following summer for driving with a dog in the front seat.

“He didn’t ask for a license or registration,” she said in the statement.

The family said they are working with Butler attorney Al Lindsay to possibly sue Sitler. Lindsay confirmed his office is working with the family. No lawsuit was filed as of Tuesday.

Bowers said he also plans on suing Sitler for what he says is police brutality.