BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — On the heels of a 73-page report from an independent investigation into abuse allegations in a Central Bucks special needs classroom, a Bucks County commissioner says she has taken steps she hopes will get the case assigned to Bucks County’s Office of Children and Youth.
Bucks County Commissioner Diane Marseglia says she believes the allegations of abuse and neglect against a special needs teacher and an education assistant at Jamison Elementary School should have been referred to the county’s Office of Children and Youth once law enforcement wrapped up its investigation.
But she says it was not assigned, as it was marked “law enforcement only,” with authorities determining the actions did not rise to the level of crimes.
The allegations have rocked a school district that is no stranger to controversy, even resulting in district Superintendent Steven Yanni being placed on administrative leave.
A disability rights advocacy group with federally authorized investigative powers issued the report last week on the findings of its investigation, saying the allegations from a personal care assistant in the classroom are credible and corroborated by other staff.
It questions how school and district officials handled the allegations, chalking it up to personality disputes, reassigning the personal care assistant to another classroom, and not removing the teacher or the education assistant.
Marseglia, a licensed social worker, says she referred the allegations back to ChildLine this weekend in hopes it will get assigned to the Bucks County Office of Children & Youth.