Leechburg board 'appalled,' 'concerned' over latest abuse allegations in school

Leechburg Area School Board members say they are “appalled” and “concerned” after learning a substitute teacher is accused of having inappropriate contact with female students over a three-month period.

The allegations came to light Friday when a concerned teacher reported the alleged incidents to ChildLine, a statewide child abuse hot line.

Leechburg police said Monday that nine children provided written statements describing the nature of the alleged inappropriate contact. Chief Mike Diebold declined to elaborate on the nature of the contact, citing the ongoing investigation.

The police department is asking parents of girls in grades four through nine to talk with their children regarding whether they have seen or experienced inappropriate contact.

He said interviews with other students are planned.

The children told police the incidents had taken place from late February to last Thursday. Some said they reported it to specific teachers and the principal months ago, Diebold said.

Diebold said his department had no reports of the activity until Friday.

School board members said they were notified Friday after the hotline report.

“I keep finding out about these ‘gotcha' incidents, and I think ‘how did this go on for so long and not get caught?' ” said board member Anthony Shea. “My biggest concern is we need to create an environment where kids can feel comfortable going to teachers and principals and feel they're being heard.”

The substitute teacher, whom police have not identified, is not currently working in the district, district officials said.

School board President Terri Smith said the ChildLine report was about “an instructor that had touched a student and made her feel uncomfortable.”

Smith said she asked if the situation was handled properly.

“I was told by the superintendent that it was,” she said.

School employees are “mandated reporters,” meaning they are legally obligated to report suspected child abuse.

In 2014, the Child Protective Services Law changed the way those reports are to be made.

Instead of a school employee going to the administration, he or she must personally and immediately report the suspected abuse via ChildLine or an online report.

Abuse must be reported to state authorities

The person doesn't need proof of abuse, nor must the abuse have been directly reported to them. They need only a “reasonable cause” to suspect it.

In Armstrong County, a ChildLine call generates a document that's forwarded to the district attorney's office, which then notifies the local police department.

Leechburg Area Acting Superintendent Frank Prazenica declined to comment when asked when teachers or the principal first learned of the allegations. He said he wanted to let the police do their investigation.

In a letter sent home to parents, Prazenica encouraged them to contact the school district or police department with relevant information or concerns.

“We understand that this situation may cause stress and anxiety for some parents/guardians and students,” he wrote. “Please be assured that the district's teachers, staff and administration will continue to work together with you to ensure a quality education for your children.”

School board member Kathy Vargo said it's an “awful situation.”

“I'm appalled, if indeed, what I read is the truth, it doesn't sound good,” she said.

Smith said she likely won't know the exact timeline of events and whether reporting requirements were followed until Wednesday evening before the school board meeting.

The penalty for failure to report is a second-degree misdemeanor. Depending on the nature of the abuse and whether a mandated reporter has repeatedly failed to report abuse, the person can be charged with a third-degree felony.

“For many years it was nothing more than a slap on the wrist if someone didn't report child abuse. That is no longer the case,” said Angela Liddle, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance, a group that provides training on how to spot child abuse.

She said she's aware of doctors and school personnel being charged for failing to report abuse.

“It's something to be taken very seriously,” Liddle said. “There is a reason we have mandated reporters.”

Vargo said the school board wants to ensure that policies and directives are followed.

“We pay the administration the big bucks to follow our directives and to make sure the kids are educated and safe; and I'm not seeing that,” she said. “If the district has broken the law, we will certainly know about that and there will be consequences, though I don't know what that would be.”

4th incident in recent months

This is the fourth incident borough police have investigated in recent months involving the school district.

Prior incidents include allegations of long-running hazing involving the high school boys basketball team that may, on occasion, have risen to sexual assault; a student found carrying a loaded handgun in school; and a man found carrying a knife resembling a gun on school property.

Kevin Yenchik of Leechburg, the parent of a first-grader, said Leechburg Area administrators aren't keeping parents in the loop, especially criminal incidents.

Yenchik said parents weren't informed about the student with the gun April 28 until after the school day ended.

He said he didn't know about the May 6 knife incident until Tuesday, when he saw it mentioned in a news report about the substitute teacher investigation that he also knew nothing about.

“The communication with this school district is nonexistent,” he said.

“I went to Penn Hills,” Yenchik said. “I feel my daughter would be safer in that school district than Leechburg. At least when things happened (at Penn Hills), parents weren't kept in the dark.”

When asked if he was hopeful for improvements upon the arrival of recently hired superintendent Tiffany Brzezinski-Nix, Yenchik said he was unaware a new administrator had been hired.

“I would hope that she can come in and make it known to the parents that things are going to change for the better,” he said, adding that improving communication should be at the top of the list. “She definitely needs to bring some type of change. Place safety first, instead of (thinking), ‘What can we do to sugar-coat it?'”

Jodi Weigand is a Tribune-Review staff writer.