A Brooklyn woman is facing assault and harassment charges after police say she threw hot coffee onto another person's back during an argument at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos last month. Pocono Township officers were called to the Scotrun resort at 7:57 p.m. on August 28, and the case has now moved forward with formal charges filed against 's suspect.
Joanna Jackson, identified by police as a Brooklyn, New York resident, was charged with second-degree misdemeanor simple assault and summary harassment, according to Fox56. Investigators say Jackson threw the hot coffee onto the victim's back during the dispute, though the outlet's account does not specify the victim's relationship to Jackson. Pocono Township Police formally logged the charges on September 7, with the case docket updated on September 14, per a notice posted to CRIMEWATCH.
Jackson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, and the charges remain allegations at this stage. It is not yet known whether the victim required medical treatment for burns or other injuries, nor when Jackson is due to appear before a Monroe County magisterial district judge for preliminary proceedings.
What the Charges Carry
The simple assault count against Jackson is graded as a second-degree misdemeanor under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2701, which carries a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, according to Ciccarelli Law Offices. The accompanying harassment charge falls under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2709(a)(1), which covers physical contact such as striking, shoving, or kicking done with intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another person, and is classified as a summary offense punishable by up to 90 days in jail, per the Pennsylvania General Assembly's statutory language.
The Monroe County District Attorney's Office is in Stroudsburg. The department, established in 1968, maintains 20 full-time officers covering a 35-square-mile municipality of more than 12,000 residents around the clock.
A Flagship Resort in the Heart of the Poconos
Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains first opened in October 2005 as the sixth location for Great Wolf Resorts, according to Visit Pennsylvania. In October 2023, the company completed a $125 million resort-wide renovation that added a 40,000-square-foot water park expansion, 202 new suites, and 30 villas, creating 300 additional jobs in the process, per figures released by Great Wolf Resorts.
The resort sits in Pocono Township, founded in 1816 and known as the Heart of the Poconos, which serves as a major commercial hub along Interstate 80. The township's own description discusses its economic base.
Not an Isolated Incident at Great Wolf Properties
Guest conflicts have surfaced at other Great Wolf Lodge locations in recent months. In August, a man was charged with robbery and second-degree assault following a physical altercation in a guest hallway at a Great Wolf Lodge in Perryville, Maryland. Separately, police in Elizabeth City, North Carolina also investigated a hot coffee assault last month, in which a customer was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault inflicting injury after throwing hot coffee onto a store clerk's chest and arm.
The Pocono case and the Perryville incident are separate cases with distinct circumstances and charges. For now, Jackson's case remains in its early stages, with the timing of her first court appearance and the full circumstances of the dispute still unclear.
