Central Bucks School District. Photo by James Short.
Multiple staff members have raised concerns about the mistreatment of children in a special education classroom at Jamison Elementary School, leading to an internal investigation and public outcry, with a sitting Central Bucks School Board member, who is an affected parent, calling for the resignation of his colleagues Thursday night.
According to The Bucks County Courier Times, the accusations involve a teacher and an aide, who allegedly subjected the students to improper restraint, physical punishment, and neglect, including preventing children from using speech devices or accessing basic needs, like water.
The district conducted an internal investigation, which concluded with no criminal charges filed, and the teacher and aide were not disciplined, per the article. The investigation, however, did identify concerns related to classroom management, including instances where students were left undressed and denied basic needs.
One of the parents is Jim Pepper, who is also a member of the Central Bucks School Board and its sole Republican.
Pepper expressed frustration with how the district handled the situation, claiming that the school administrators, including Superintendent Steven Yanni, misled him and others about the severity of the allegations, per the article.
Pepper called for their resignations.
During a school board meeting, Pepper accused district officials of covering up the abuse and criticized local law enforcement for not prosecuting the case after their investigation. He shared how he and his wife had entrusted the school with their son's care, only to later feel betrayed by the mishandling of the situation, per the article.
Other speakers during public comment at Thursday’s meeting shared additional details about the investigation, including information from the police report, which appeared to confirm several of the mistreatment claims. These disclosures added to the growing concerns regarding the district's response to the allegations.
According to the report, there were discrepancies in the way the district handled the case, particularly regarding communication between administrators and the police. Some witnesses believe that if the allegations are true, the district may have violated state and federal laws related to child protection, according to the article.
Per the Bucks County Courier Times, the November complaint described a chaotic classroom environment, where Pepper’s son and other students were subjected to physical restraint and left undressed.
One significant allegation involved the boy being physically restrained while naked and forced to finish his work, per the complaint.
Pepper’s son also faced repeated denial of bathroom access, a violation of his rights as a nonverbal child, per the report. The complaint detailed how the boy was denied bathroom breaks and, as a result, would often urinate in his pants.
The article laid out further allegations in the complaint, including staff members allegedly manipulated the boy’s speech device, deleting words like "frustrated," which would have communicated his distress to his parents. Additionally, students were reportedly subjected to physical punishments, such as walking barefoot on wood chips, according to the article.
The district’s handling of an incident in which Pepper’s son allegedly headbutted an aide in February 2024 also raised concerns, per the article. The family was not informed about the incident, which led to a concussion for the aide.
The school’s failure to notify the parents about the injury, or to take proper action afterward, further strained trust in the district, according to the article.
