Pa. school district fires superintendent, principal after abuse allegations
Editor’s Note: This article contains allegations of child abuse that could be disturbing for some readers
A major decision for the Bucks County School Board as members voted to terminate a former superintendent and principal following serious allegations of abuse inside a classroom.
On Thursday, Oct. 16, the school board voted in favor of firing former Central Bucks Superintendent Steve Yanni and Jamison Elementary School Principal Dave Heineman.
“It was without question the right thing to do to terminate these men,” school board member, and father of allegedly abused student, Jim Pepper, said after abstaining from the vote.
The abuse allegations came to light last year after a whistleblower reported a teacher and aid were abusing students in an Autistic support classroom at Jamison.
During a two day hearing back in August, a personal care assistant to a boy in the classroom came forward with witness testimony saying that the teacher and aid allegedly restrained the boy, allowed him to undress and withheld water from from.
Investigations conducted by both Disability Right’s Pennsylvania and the school district found Yanni and other administrators misled parents and police about the ongoing issue. They are also accused of failing to file proper reports.
“We’ll never know what really happened in that room and that’s going to be the thing that sticks with me forever,” one father, Michael Henry, said.
For the last several months, the school board has been weighing the decision to fire both Heineman and Yanni who were put on administrative leave.
Meanwhile, Pepper says the vote on Thursday closes only one chapter in a story that will haunt his family for years to come.
“My wife and I will be dealing with this, and my son and I will be dealing with this for my rest of our lives,” Pepper explained.
Pepper told NBC10 that the work doesn’t end here and explained that his next step will be to take legal action.
The board had previously voted to terminate the teacher at the center of the allegations.
Yanni has since accepted a new position with Northwood Academy Charter School in Philadelphia.
