HARRISBURG — The Constitution Party of Pennsylvania sued the state's chief elections official, claiming the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates are unfairly being denied spots on the November ballot.

The lawsuit filed Friday in Harrisburg federal court against Secretary of State Pedro Cortes seeks an injunction to include presidential nominee Chuck Baldwin and vice presidential nominee Darrell R. Castle on the ballot.

The lawsuit said the party submitted nearly 22,000 signatures to the Department of State by the Aug. 1 deadline, a couple thousand fewer than required to qualify for the ballot. Last week, the party attempted to submit about 8,000 more signatures, but the Department of State would not accept them, according to Jim Clymer, a Lancaster lawyer who represents the plaintiffs.

Clymer said a recent decision in Ohio bolsters his argument that the Aug. 1 deadline for third-party candidates is overly burdensome and violates constitutional protections. Under the U.S. Constitution, the Legislature, not the secretary of state, is supposed to set such deadlines, he said.

Department of State spokesman Leslie Amoros said the lawsuit was being reviewed. She had no comment about its merits.

SOMERSET — A retired teacher was charged with raping and sexually assaulting a former student in 2001.Stephen Shaffer, 55, of Grove City, is accused of assaulting the female student when she was 13 and 14 years old on two different occasions in early 2001.At the time, Shaffer was a science teacher at Somerset Area Junior High School. Authorities said he retired in 2005. Shaffer surrendered his teacher's license in November.Police said the former student, now 21, recently came forward. Police said Shaffer sent her love letters, cards and notes that indicate a physical relationship.Shaffer was charged with rape, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and other related crimes. A phone number for him could not immediately be found Wednesday.

NEW CASTLE — The state Department of Environmental Protection revoked a waste tire recycling firm's permit, citing violations.The agency also is requiring Lion Enterprises 7/11, of New Castle, to forfeit a $25,000 bond it held for the facility. The DEP said Lion Enterprises, which was permitted in February 2007, began violating its permit two months later.The DEP said problems included failing to have records available, storing more tires than its permit allowed and storing tires at another unpermitted site.A listed number for Lion Enterprises couldn't be located.