Central Bucks Superintendent Placed on Leave After Student Abuse Allegations

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The head administrator of the Central Bucks School District was put on administrative leave after a report was released accusing them of abusing elementary school students with special needs.

At the Central Bucks School Board meeting on Thursday evening, it was announced that Dr. Steven Yanni would be put on leave. The packed room of worried parents responded with applause as they voiced their rage over the accusations and dissatisfaction with the way the district managed the situation.

“Abruse of childreen who cannot protect themselves — it's repulsive. It's genuinely revolting,” a parent commented. NBC10 .

Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP), the nonprofit organization examining claims of mistreatment at Jamison Elementary School, published a comprehensive 73-page document on Wednesday detailing their conclusions.

As stated in the report, a teacher and an assistant mistreated four pupils, ranging from kindergarten through second grade, within an autism support class during the period from September to December 2024.

The students in Classroom faced abuse, neglect, unlawful restraint, the application of aversive methods, and disability-based discrimination, all as outlined by relevant state and federal statutes," according to the DRP’s summary within the report. "Worsening matters, district personnel did not adhere to the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law, necessitating prompt reports of suspected child abuse to ChildLine.

A school board member named James Pepper informed NBC10 that his 9-year-old child was among those students who were mistreated.

Our son is unable to communicate verbally. He has been confined," Pepper stated. "His access to water was limited, and he faced physical punishment." Pepper added firmly, "No one should tolerate those who hide child abuse within their district or anywhere else.

Pepper stated that both he and others were misled. According to the DRP, Yanni along with other district officials misrepresented the gravity of the accusations, and the district’s investigative process was defective.

Prior to Yanni being put on leave, he issued a statement indicating that he had reviewed the report and noted "several inaccuracies that I intend to address at a later time when I have the opportunity to do so."

Yanni and the district are awaiting the conclusion of an independent probe being carried out by an external company.

No criminal charges have been brought forward, hence Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn refrained from addressing the particular claims detailed in the DRP report.

It is both mine and our Chief of the Special Victims Unit’s lifelong mission to pinpoint and pursue legal action against people who harm children," she stated. "We are unwavering protectors when it comes to safeguarding kids and individuals with disabilities. Our duty as prosecutors involves examining all claims of mistreatment without bias, guided strictly by the law. The report from Disability Rights Pennsylvania offers various suggestions for the school district to ponder over, such as implementing disciplinary measures for employees and administrators, enhancing educational programs, developing new policies, and establishing further protections for disabled students' well-being and civil liberties. Given my role as the district attorney, I am neither entitled nor appropriate for me to comment on issues outside criminal jurisdiction. Exceeding this boundary would contravene my official powers.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to rigorously pursuing prosecutions of child abuse crimes.