Investigator: Four Kids Abused At Wildwood School Over Two Years

WILMINGTON, MA — Four children were abused in one classroom at Wildwood Early Childhood Center over the past two school years, an investigator hired by the district said Monday.

Attorney Patrick Hanley of Butters Brazilian was hired in May to investigate allegations of abuse at the school.

Hanley said that he concluded three children were abused in the Wildwood Center's Classroom #7 in the 2020-2021 school year and one child was abused in the 2019-2020 school year by a particular educator.

The other educator in the same classroom "could not plausibly have not known about it," Hanley said, but he found no evidence that the other educator engaged in abuse.

Hanley also said the principal of the Wildwood school did not have information about the abuse prior to the allegations being made, although the principal had previously investigated allegations and brought them to the superintendent.

In one previous case, the superintendent suspended a teacher in connection to abuse, Hanley said.

Hanley also took questions from a group of parents and attorneys for parents. Questions focused in particular on whether allegations of abuse should have been reported to the state Department of Children and Families, why they weren't and whether the full investigative report could be made available in a redacted form.

Superintendent Glenn Brand said the district is switching from a district-led training on mandated reporting of suspected abuse and neglect to an expanded online training delivered by Middlesex Children's Advocacy.

Attendees of the meeting were given a copy of the report's executive summary. Patch has requested a copy from the superintendent's office.

The meeting is available here from WCTV.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.