DA Candidate Calls For Grand Jury Probe Into Jamison Abuse Allegations

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Bucks County District Attorney candidate Joe Khan on Monday called on Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn to convene a grand jury to investigate allegations of abuse and non-reporting in a Central Bucks School District classroom last fall.

“As the parent of two kids in the Central Bucks School District, I was heartbroken to read about the suffering and abuse at one of our elementary schools and I am frustrated and disappointed by the District Attorney’s failure to explain what she knows and why she isn’t taking action," he said in a Zoom call with reporters.

“I’m calling on Bucks District Attorney Schorn to seek the convening of an investigating grand jury to investigate the allegations of abuse and failures to report abuse at Jamison Elementary as detailed in last week’s report from Disability Rights Project," said Khan.

In response to that report, the District Attorney issued the following statement:

“It is my and our Chief of Special Victims Unit’s life work to identify and prosecute individuals who abuse children. You will not find fiercer advocates for the protection of children and those with disabilities. As prosecutors, we took an oath to review any allegations of abuse dispassionately with
the law as our guide.

"The report by Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) identifies recommendations for the school district to consider, which include staff and administrator discipline, training, policy development, and additional safeguards for the safety and rights of students with disabilities.

"As the district attorney, it is not my place to weigh in on non-criminal matters. To do anything beyond that would be beyond the scope of my statutory authority.

“The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office vows to continue to be vigilant in prosecuting criminal acts of child abuse.”

Khan said like countless parents in the district, "I am fed up with the lack of transparency from our DA, whose messages to the public have raised more questions than they have answered.

“Unlike school boards, police departments, and nonprofits, District Attorneys in Pennsylvania have the power to request the convening of grand juries, which have unparalleled power to investigate complex matters," said Khan. "An investigating grand jury can not only recommend criminal charges when warranted, it can provide findings and ‘recommendations for legislative, executive, or administrative action in the public interest’ – which can be especially important when no charges can be brought.

“As a prosecutor who has spent most of his career fighting to protect children, I know that a grand jury investigation of this nature isn’t always easy, but our kids need their DA to stand up for them even when it’s hard and our community has been in the dark too long," he said. "I call upon DA Schorn to take all requisite steps to convene an investigating grand jury and pursue any other actions, which are necessary to give CBSD families, faculty and staff the answers we deserve.

DRP began investigating after allegations of abuse were raised in a ChildLine report by a personal care assistant (PCA) in the Jamison classroom last fall, involving a teacher, an educational assistant, and two students in the four-student autistic support classroom.

"After interviews with relevant Jamison staff and district administrators and a review of records, DRP concludes that the allegations of abuse made by a PCA in the classroom are credible and corroborated by several staff who worked in the classroom. The students in the classroom experienced abuse, neglect, illegal restraints, use of aversive techniques, and disability discrimination, as defined under
applicable state and federal laws."

Compounding the abuse, the DRP report says district staff "failed to comply with the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law, which requires immediate reporting of suspected child abuse to ChildLine. Instead, district administrators filed ChildLine reports days and then weeks after receipt of information of suspected child abuse, and the information reported in both instances was incomplete and misleading."

While there were flaws in the district’s internal fact-finding investigation, the DRP report says the district’s own investigation "still revealed significant corroboration of the abuse in the classroom," the report says. "Despite that corroboration, the district erroneously informed parents of students in the classroom and the local police conducting the ChildLine investigation that the district’s
investigation found no evidence of abuse.

"A culture of distrust and fear of retaliation pervades at Jamison and among district administrators regarding the classroom, which undoubtedly contributed to the lack of appropriate reporting and response by the district," the report says.

The DRP is recommending a series of actions be taken by the school board to address the issues, including staff and administrator discipline, training, policy development, and additional safeguards for the safety and rights of students with disabilities.

The Central Bucks School District acknowledged the release of the report in a statement issued by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Charles Malone and school board leadership - President Susan Gibson and Vice President Heather Reynolds.

"The report contains concerning information that the board and district will review with utmost seriousness. It is important that we take the appropriate time to carefully evaluate the information
presented before commenting or acting on any details," the statement reads.

Twenty-four hours later, the school board announced that it had placed Superintendent Yanni on paid administrative leave until a third-party investigation commissioned by the school board is completed.

"We are also awaiting the results of the independent investigation into this matter," said board's statement. "We will consider the DRP and independent reports carefully and are committed to taking any necessary action. The safety of our students remains our highest priority, and we will respond to both reports appropriately and transparently," the statement concludes.

In February, the board hired Leigh Dalton, an attorney with the law firm of Stock and Leader, to look into the allegations of child abuse at Jamison and how the allegations were reported out by the
administration.