Disability Rights Pennsylvania recently opened an investigation that has uncovered troubling abuse allegations of autistic students at Jamison Elementary School. This active school arson case stems from one of their schools, Central Bucks School District. This at-large district is the third-largest district in Pennsylvania. Even worse, it is coming under fire for failing to address child abuse complaints and failing to report these cases in a timely manner.
The study was conducted through interviews with 20 people. This involved reviewing internal district emails and documents, including district responses to student and personnel records, as well as analyzing several ChildLine reports. The results indicatively demonstrate that the district turned a blind eye to abuse allegations. They duped cops with lies.
Involvement of District Officials
Steve Yanni, the Superintendent of the Central Bucks School District, played a significant role in the events surrounding the reported abuse. Internal communications reveal that Alyssa Wright, the district’s director of pupil services and special education, began warning Yanni back as early as March. She specifically called out the district’s attempt to “cover up abuse and neglect. Though this is terrifying data, the district did not report any child abuse allegations until after allegations surfaced in November.
When investigators took a closer look, they determined that Central Bucks School District staff and administrators violated state law. Not only did they not report any of these allegations to ChildLine, because it was only after a whistleblower contacted Steve Yanni that he filed a report to ChildLine. He only disclosed pending allegations about one student. At the same time, he downplayed or dismissed reports of abuse affecting other students in that very same class.
“Thus, it was just a self-fulfilling circle: Dr. Yanni provided limited information in the ChildLine report and to the police; Dr. Yanni told the police that the District’s investigation found no abuse; the police relied on that conclusion in closing the file.” – investigators
In December, Yanni and another district official, Rob Freiling, informed police and a parent that no evidence of abuse existed. The district’s own investigation, done in November, substantiated many of those serious accusations. These included dangerous use of restraints and acts of negligence such as failure to provide access to water.
Misleading Information and Lack of Accountability
The report released on April 23 highlights that Central Bucks School District shared “incomplete and misleading” information with law enforcement. Moreover, the district never shared with Warwick police any clear documentation about the breadth of allegations against staff members. This lack of transparency made it impossible to pursue legal action against anyone responsible for the alleged abuse.
Yanni disputes that there was “any report of physicality whatsoever,” as you said. Shocking as it is, this statement reflects a pattern of district statements that evades accountability. These investigations uncovered obvious and widespread misconduct. Yanni would never have acted on his own had not an outside whistleblower forced his hand by bringing the concerns to the media.
About a week after we sent the district a copy of the whistleblower’s letter, the district put that staff member on paid administrative leave. Yanni alleges that personnel would have been suspended had a federal criminal investigation started. This is in stark contrast to the response or lack thereof taken at the initial emergence of the allegations.
“If these events had occurred in a second-grade classroom, then yes, the teachers would have been removed.” – Dr. Yanni
Implications for Student Safety and Future Actions
The report from Disability Rights Pennsylvania revealed some shocking discoveries. Taken together, these shocking admissions expose the dangerous lack of child safety protocols at the Central Bucks School District. Investigators underscored the importance of timely reporting and clear communication to protecting student safety. Inaction is the greatest risk of all to students. It destroys the trust that all these stakeholders should have with each other—parents, educators and law enforcement.
The Central Bucks school board and Assistant Superintendent Charles Malone have stated that it is essential to “carefully evaluate the information presented before commenting or acting on any details.” This demonstrates an admirable commitment to addressing the problems uncovered by the investigation. At the same time, parents and advocates are calling for aggressive reforms right now to protect our most at-risk students.
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