A legal dispute is escalating in Pennsylvania as a Greensburg Salem School District family alleges serious misconduct by school staff. According to a lawsuit filed by the family, their 8-year-old son, a student at Robert F. Nicely Elementary School, was subjected to abuse and discrimination in a special education classroom. TribLive reported that the lawsuit accuses the district of ignoring concerns about the boy's drastic behavior changes and failing to investigate the suspected abuse. It further charges that the school officials fell short in training on appropriate child restraint and mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse.
Charges have been leveled against six individuals connected with the case. After initial reports of the allegations, two staff members and four contracted employees from an outside agency were removed from their positions. Facing a series of charges ranging from conspiracy and child endangerment to false imprisonment, two of the accused, Brooke A. Stanko and Teri Kepchia, are alleged to have used lemon juice and soap against one child and to have restrained multiple children with soundproofing mats. "The boy involved in the lawsuit has since been diagnosed with a trauma and stress disorder," detailed the court documents cited by TribLive.
In a separate report by WTAE, the lawsuit alleges that not only the mother but other parents and even a teacher outside of the district had brought forth concerns about abusive behaviors, which administrators purportedly ignored. The lawsuit contends that the district's negligence to these warnings culminated in the boy's diagnosed trauma and stress disorder, as well as denied benefits and discrimination against the child.
A trial for Stanko and Kepchia has been tentatively scheduled for June, and preliminary hearings for the remaining four defendants are set to proceed later this month. Despite controversy and public outcry, the district has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.
