Jamison Elementary School Subject Of Damning Report On Abuse
By Dan Doyle and Alex Lloyd Gross
In a damning new report released this week, Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) has unveiled a disturbing pattern of abuse, neglect, and systemic failure within an Autism support classroom at Jamison Elementary School in the Central Bucks School District (CBSD). The investigation, covering incidents from September to December 2024, paints a harrowing picture of mistreatment toward some of the district’s most vulnerable students—and an alarming lack of accountability at the highest levels of administration.
Abuse in the Classroom: A Culture of Harm and Dehumanization
The DRP report confirms that multiple students with disabilities were subjected to illegal restraints, water deprivation, neglect, and humiliation by a classroom teacher and educational assistant (EA). Staff accounts—credible, consistent, and corroborated—describe students being physically restrained under desks, dragged across the floor naked, and even forced to walk barefoot on wood chips as punishment. One child was reportedly yanked by the wrist into a restraint while the EA shouted, “You hit, you sit!”
Perhaps most disturbing are allegations that a student’s masturbatory behavior was ignored, and at times mocked and laughed about by the adults in the room. The student, often naked, was allegedly referred to in grotesque terms while engaging in this behavior on classroom and bathroom floors. Staff told investigators they were instructed not to intervene, and DRP concluded the conduct amounted to potential sexual exploitation.
Students were also reportedly denied water—allegedly to limit bathroom trips—and left without comfort even when visibly distressed. One cried so long and intensely that they vomited after 35 minutes of unaddressed emotional distress.
The report outlines further patterns of neglect, such as failing to protect students from self-injurious behavior or peer violence, and even erasing communication from assistive devices to prevent parents from learning about their children’s treatment.
Administrative Failure: Cover-Ups, Withholding Evidence, and Systemic Neglect
While the abuses are deeply troubling, DRP finds the response—or lack thereof—by district leadership to be equally alarming. According to the report, CBSD failed to properly investigate allegations, withheld vital documentation from law enforcement, and misled parents and police about the scope and severity of the incidents.
Despite receiving a detailed written report from a Personal Care Assistant (PCA), district administrators minimized the allegations, omitted key evidence from their internal reports, and failed to file accurate and complete mandatory ChildLine reports. When the police requested documentation, the school administration did not provide the PCA’s report or other relevant materials, despite knowing of their existence.
One internal district report sent to police even excluded mention of restraints, nudity, masturbation, and water restriction, resulting in a premature closure of the criminal investigation. In a particularly egregious example, a concerned parent was told that there was “absolutely no reports of physicality”—a statement the report shows was demonstrably false.
Rather than removing the implicated staff from the classroom, the District kept them in place and even moved another student into the environment, a decision DRP calls negligent and dangerous.
Discriminatory Views and a Culture of Silence
The investigation concludes that discriminatory attitudes toward students with disabilities permeated CBSD’s handling of the case. Staff and administrators allegedly rationalized harmful actions because the victims were Autistic, implying that such treatment might not be considered abuse in that context. In one interview, the Superintendent admitted that the staff “would have been removed” had the same actions occurred in a second-grade general education classroom.
A toxic climate of fear and retaliation also emerged. Teachers and aides who spoke up described emotional distress, with some crying in interviews and others detailing how they were ignored or intimidated after raising concerns. DRP highlights at least one case of unlawful retaliation against a Special Education Supervisor who urged removing the teacher from the classroom.
Legal Violations and Call for Action
The actions documented in the DRP report violate a host of federal and state laws, including the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rehabilitation Act, and Pennsylvania regulations on restraint use and aversive techniques. These laws exist to protect the civil and educational rights of students with disabilities—rights that, in this case, were systematically ignored.
Recommendations and Next Steps
DRP is calling for immediate disciplinary action against the teacher, EA, and responsible administrators, along with a district-wide review of practices in special education classrooms. They urge CBSD to provide full transparency to parents, convene Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings for impacted students, and engage experts to help rebuild a safe and lawful educational environment.
The report has been forwarded to law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and DRP has committed to continuing its oversight.
When questioned for comment an Official statement was made public by Bucks County District Attorney Jen Schorn :
“It is my and our Chief of Special Victims Unit’s life mission 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 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.”
This report is attached to this article so you can read it for yourself.