A teenage girl was assaulted inside Penncrest High School on Wednesday after two people who do not attend the school allegedly slipped into the building, according to authorities. Police say the student was shoved and punched and ended up with a cut to her lip. The incident unfolded at Penncrest's Middletown Township campus in Delaware County and is now under investigation by Pennsylvania State Police.
Investigators say the suspects were a teenage boy and his friend who waited outside the school before heading in, and that neither had permission to be on campus, as reported by 6abc. The outlet reports that both suspects are Philadelphia residents. Police say the victim was treated at the scene for the cut to her lip.
District visitor procedures
The Rose Tree Media School District, which oversees Penncrest High School, requires any visitor going beyond the office to check in through a Visitor Aware system, show identification, and wear a visitor badge, according to the district's published procedures (Visitor Aware). The protocol is meant to limit unauthorized access and help staff quickly identify who is on campus. The school safety pages note that sign-in procedures and visible badges are standard at Penncrest buildings.
Investigation underway
Pennsylvania State Police have launched an investigation into the assault and are working to determine how the two nonstudents got into the building, 6abc reported. Authorities have not publicly released the suspects' names or indicated whether any charges have been filed. Investigators are expected to keep interviewing witnesses and reviewing any available video as the case moves forward.
What to watch next
The case remains active, and families in the area are likely to be watching for updates from both the district and state police in the coming days. This story will be updated if officials release more information or announce arrests or charges. For now, the district's visitor rules stand as a reminder of the systems schools rely on to try to keep unauthorized visitors out of their buildings.
