Central Bucks School District. Photo by James Short.
The Central Bucks School District experienced another tense school board meeting last month, as parents continued to voice concerns over alleged misconduct in a special needs classroom at Jamison Elementary.
According to PhillyBurbs.com, these concerns focused on how the district handled the situation, and the internal investigation that followed.
Board President Susan Gibson acknowledged the rising tensions and emphasized her commitment to ensuring that public comments were heard and that policies were followed during meetings.
Lisa Pepper, the wife of board member Jim Pepper, publicly shared her concerns for the first time regarding the treatment of her 9-year-old son, who was allegedly mistreated by a teacher and aide at Jamison, per the report.
She criticized the district for keeping her son in the classroom after becoming aware of the allegations and called for the resignation of Superintendent Steve Yanni due to his handling of the situation, according to the article.
While the board has not taken any action regarding her requests, Lisa Pepper continues to seek accountability and urged the board to act swiftly.
The board has yet to take any formal vote on personnel changes, and Yanni has not offered his resignation.
At the same meeting, a resident named Steven Albert raised questions about whether the actions described in the whistleblower complaint—such as restraints and denied water—should be considered misconduct. Albert suggested that the children may have benefited from the alleged restraints and questioned the rationale behind withholding water from children with autism, according to the report
However, a recent state investigation confirmed that the students, including the Peppers’ son, had been illegally restrained and inappropriately denied water, with no reports made to parents or the state as required by law.
Read more on the Jamison Elementary incident and response here.
