DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The Central Bucks School District fired the superintendent and four other employees Wednesday night in response to abuse allegations against elementary school students with special needs.
The school board voted to terminate Superintendent Dr. Steven Yanni, teacher Gabrielle McDaniel and three other staffers who were not named in the meeting agenda or during the meeting, only referred to by their employee numbers.
McDaniel, who taught at Jamison Elementary School for two years, released a statement ahead of the meeting to deny the abuse allegations, which were made in a report from Disability Rights Pennsylvania in April.
“I’ve built a strong and unblemished record as a caring, dedicated educator committed to helping children with unique needs learn, grow, and thrive,” McDaniel said in the statement. “Teaching has never been just a job to me — it’s my life’s passion. I am confident that the truth will prevail, and I look forward to the proper resolution of this matter.”
Disability Rights Pennsylvania, a nonprofit group that advocates for and protects the rights of people with disabilities, conducted a months-long investigation into the allegations of abuse by a teacher and an aide at Jamison Elementary between September and December 2024.
The four students, between kindergarten and second grade, were in an autism support classroom. Disability Rights Pennsylvania said the children “experienced abuse, neglect, illegal restraints, use of aversive techniques, and disability discrimination, as defined under applicable state and federal laws.”
“Compounding the abuse, district staff failed to comply with the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law, which requires immediate reporting of suspected child abuse to ChildLine,” the organization said.
Disability Rights Pennsylvania recommended that the school board address the issue through “staff and administrator discipline, training, policy development, and additional safeguards for the safety and rights of students with disabilities.”
Yanni was placed on leave after the report came out two months ago. School board member James Pepper, who said his 9-year-old son was one of the abused students, has been pushing for accountability.
“We will be dealing with this for the rest of our lives,” he told NBC10. “We need to protect our kids. Without a safe environment, we have nothing.”
In a statement issued back in April, Warwick Township Police Chief Mark Goldberg said the allegations were “serious and troublesome,” but he agreed with Bucks County District Attorney Jen Schorn’s decision not to prosecute.
“There may be violations of education regulations and policies and procedures of the school district, but that goes beyond the scope of what a police department can address,” he said.
Goldberg said the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General also investigated and decided not to prosecute.