A former security officer accused of putting a chokehold on a student following a high school basketball game at Jersey Shore Area High School in January 2023 but no longer facing any criminal charges told district officials he is seeking redress and reimbursement in the aftermath of the incident.

Fred Packard, 62, disputed the charges against him, telling the school board that video footage of the incident shows he was wrongly charged.

The charges against Packard were withdrawn on March 15, after the incident was “thoroughly investigated,” Lycoming County District Attorney Tom Marino told the Sun-Gazette after the meeting.

“I was very near bankruptcy because of this,” Packard told the board during the public comment period of its recent meeting.

He now wants reimbursement for attorney fees and his reputation, he said.

“And that’s not going to come cheap,” he said. “If I have to take this to civil action, I will.”

Packard was initially charged with strangulation, simple assault and one summary offense of harassment.

According to an affidavit, Packard was alleged to have tackled the unnamed student, hit him in the eye and put him in a stranglehold.

The student told police he had been ordered to leave the building, but said he was walking out of the gym and started to run so he “could beat the crowd to the door.”

Packard had a different version of the incident, telling police he took the student to the ground after he came running towards him.

“I stopped him from taking me down,” he told the board.

He admitted to police having his arm around the student’s neck but was not sure how it got there and told investigators he didn’t lock into a grip to perform an actual chokehold.

The incident was captured on video provided by the district as well as on a personal cell phone.

“Packard was not choking the juvenile, he was only attempting to hold him until police arrived,” Marino said, adding that there was no intent to cut off the youth’s breathing.

“The kid would not listen when told to leave, and kept coming in and out,” the DA said.

Further, when interviewed by authorities within the District Attorney’s Office, the juvenile would not cooperate and refused to answer any questions, Marino said.

The school district, Packard said, needs to back its employees.

Efforts to reach Packard and Jersey Shore School District Solicitor Chris Kenyon for additional comments were unsuccessful.

Reporter Matthew Courter contributed

to this article